a destiny equal to the gods
by Mina Maxwell
Summary: The year is AC200, Duo is bored out of his mind until he's transported back to the year 2000AD where Minako has been equally bored. After falling in love and being returned AC200, how will Duo cope with the knowledge that there is somewhere he'd rather be
1. The Wisdom of Fate

_Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon_ is owned and created by Naoko Takeuchi and _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_ is owned and created by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino. I am merely borrowing their creations and splicing them together as something of my own.  **This story should explain my pen name** 

**_a destiny equal to the gods _**

****

****

_"Chance encounter change even the future_

_Believe in miracles…_

_…There is only one thing anyone won't hand over_

_Chances come only once___

_Sieze them Tomorrow's too late."_

_--Duo Maxwell_

_"Kitto OK!"_

The Wisdom of Fate 

The year is 2000 AD the Sailor Senshi team has vanquished all the youmas, mad scientists, and aliens.  For the past year the girls have been virtually duty free. Having no supernatural problems the 5 or should I say 6 moved on with their lives. 

            Usagi and Mamoru were married, and on June 30th this year she gave birth to a baby girl. 

As for the other inners, Ami, now age 21, flew through college, and is now over halfway into Medical School. She still talks to Greg, but she's way too busy to have a real relationship. 

Rei, after graduating from high school returned to her grandfather's shrine. Yuuichirou still hangs on her every word. In the past few years, Rei has modeled evening gowns, written and performed new songs, but mostly she has stayed close to home where she has given into Yuuichirou's persistence, and 2 years ago they officially stared dating. In the past year things have become a little more serious due to the lack of senshi business.  

As for Makoto she graduated from a top-notch culinary academy. She is now head chef in a restaurant just down the street from the Crown Game Arcade, which Motoki now manages. Motoki and Mako have been dating exclusively since she graduated from high school.

 Last but certainly not least is Minako.  After the Starlights left they hadn't really had that many senshi related problems so by her junior year of high school she decided to go ahead and live her life long dream of being an idol. Meanwhile she finished her schooling, but less than a year out of high school her number one song Route Venus wasn't topping the charts and having problems with her recording company she decided to take a break from show biz and start college. Not knowing exactly what she wanted to do or would ever be able to do Minako never settled on one major. She is 1/2 way into a major in PE, 2/3 into a Criminal Justice major, and a 1/4 into a creative writing major. She also studied kickboxing, judo, and karate, and has acquired a minor in English. In the past year she put her free time to use. Taking up volleyball again she now coaches a team of 5th and 6th graders.  She learned how to give a tune up from Haruka. Ami taught her everything she ever wanted to know about first aide and candy striping in a hospital helped her with 'bedside manners' no more burning her sick friends.  

            In this year the youmas have been stopped and the world has been closer to peace than ever before. Usagi and Mamoru live in a crystal palace in down town Tokyo; well they live in Crystal Palace Apartments. With Chibi-Usa they barely have time to go out with others let alone govern the Earth.

            In the future:

The year is AC 200 Relena Darlain has succeeded in ending the dispute between Earth and Space.  The world has acquired such great peace that language wise it has returned to a pre-Babel type mode. Everyone can understand Everyone else… they hear all language in their own tongues and speak just the same.  This has made meeting new people and world communication much simpler.

            Heero gave into his feelings for Relena, with the war over the "Perfect Soldier" could now look forward to a life of peace and happiness with his fiancé. They live in a big mansion on colony L1… Heero prefers Space to Earth and wherever Heero goes Relena will follow.

            After the final battle Duo returned to L2 and continued his salvaging work. Hilde and he were living together, up until 2 years ago when they had a huge fight about their relationship or lack there of. Duo had never wanted to flee somewhere so quickly. Having no family to return home to, he turned to his best friend Heero. Relena naturally gave him a room in their house.

When all was said and done Trowa returned to L3, Catherine, and the Circus. His sister and he still perform their knife-throwing act. But seeing as how Trowa is pretty much fearless and good at what he does their act has blossomed in the past few years to include everything and anything a circus-goer could ever imagine and beyond.

            Quatre went home to L4, to take his place as the head of the Winner family. However to end disputes he gave the colony solely to the workers and for this he was respected… 

Wufei prefers to be alone, having lost most of his family in the war Wufei accompanied Sally Po in her duties and joined the Preventers. Throughout the course of the past three years Wufei has visited Sally's family's home in China at least a dozen times, but no matter how hard Sally's grandmother pushes they remain friends and partners, nothing more.

            One beautiful early fall day Minako was sitting in the park in downtown. Her girls took home the trophy last week and Minako wasn't about to return to school without a purpose.  And this is just what was on her mind. She was staring off into space when a friendly familiar voice broke her train of thought (or lack there of). It was her old friend Asai. 

            "Hey Minako, whatcha lookin' at?" Asai said following her gaze into the trees.

            "Oh Asai! Uh nothing I was just thinking… how are you?"

            "Oh I'm good, I heard about your team winning the championship."

            "Yeah I'm so proud of them, they worked really hard, and got exactly where they wanted to be."

            "Well it helps when they have such a terrific coach." Minako blushed,  "so what else have you been up to lately?"

            "Not much I've been going to school, but I'm taking the semester off, to try and figure out what I want to do with my life. And you?"

            "Oh well, I work in an office downtown, and Sarah's got a great job teaching second grade."

            "Oh so how are things going for you two?"

            "Well we still play volleyball on the weekends, only I'm taking it a little easier on her lately seeing as we're expecting our first child in April."

            "Oh that's wonderful, congratulations!"

            "And you and romance, Minako?"

            "I guess I just haven't quite found Mr. Right yet?"

            "Don't worry it'll happen."

            "Thanks Asai…"

Phone rings. Asai takes a cell out of his coat pocket "Moshi-moshi, oh darling…. Yes I can do that." "Minako I have to go it's been great seeing you."

            "Maybe if you get bored come spring when Sarah can't play, you can come and join us, my girls will give you a run for your money."

            "Yeah? Well I'll just have to keep that in mind." He waved and left Minako to her thoughts. Minako walked over to a phone, knowing Usagi would be busy she first called Makoto. But to no avail, Makoto and Motoki's machine said she was cooking for a party uptown. Next she tried Ami, but when Greg answered the phone, he said that Ami had just gotten home from work and he was taking Ami some place special—she was busy getting ready. After two minutes of talking to Greg about where they were going, she hung up and called Rei. Her grandfather said the Rei and Yuuichirou were visiting Usagi, to see Chibi-Usa.  Minako called Usagi's, and Yuuichirou answered the phone. Rei and he had agreed to sit for Usagi and Mamoru so they could have one night out.  In the background she could hear Chibi-Usa cry and Yuuichirou dropped the phone and ran to her crib three rooms away. Rei simply let out a little laugh, shook her head and picked up the phone. "Hey Minako what's up?" 

"Oh… nothing, I was just bored and decided to see what everyone was doing tonight."

            "Ah well we dropped by to visit and somehow got suckered into sitting, while the King and Queen go uptown for Mako's party.  You can come sit with us if you're bored." 

            "Well, I'm not really in the baby mood, so I'm going to pass." 

            "Minako, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"Oh Rei don't be silly, I was just sitting in the park thinking about where my life is going when out of the blue came Asai, to tell me about his perfect life, with his perfect wife, and perfect job." 

            "The nerve of some people."

            "Well he didn't say it like that, I guess I'm just a little jealous."

            "Of him, or of her?"

            Sigh. "Honestly I don't know anymore."

CRASH!!! Yuuichirou screams – Usa cries... "Sounds like you should go help him."

            "Well Minako come over we'll talk."

            "No, you've got enough problems, I'm just going to sit here a while and then go to the gym. I'll be fine… you go help the baby-challenged."

            "Hey he tries and that's what counts…"

            "Sure, whatever you say, Rei."

            Less than 20 minutes from their departure, both Usagi and Mamoru decided they needed to call in. Despite the marginal crying they heard in the background, Rei assured them that everything was perfectly fine there, but Minako didn't sound so good. Rei told Usagi the whole situation. And Usagi decided they had to stop by the park first.

            When Usagi and Mamoru arrived at the park, Minako was sitting by a fountain staring into the water. "Mina? Are you alright?" Usagi asked. 

Minako continued to stare into the water, "I'm lost."  

"Lost?" Mamoru pried. 

"You live down that road… but I don't suppose that's what you mean." Usagi sat down beside her. 

"Minako, what's on your mind?" Mamoru said putting a hand on her shoulder. 

"Where am I going? What's my purpose I mean if I'm not a Sailor Senshi what's left?" 

            "Oh Minako, you're one of my very best friends and I need you." Usagi began, "You are a very dear friend and you have so much to give. You'll find your niche." 

            "My niche? Usagi have you been reading the dictionary?" Minako said giving Usagi a sly glance and a little shoulder nudge. 

            Nudging her back, "Hey it happens. Especially when you're forbid to leave the room for 5 months straight." Both girls turned to look at Mamoru.

            Mamoru sighed, "But that's not why we're here. Minako-chan what is really troubling you?"

            "I'm the only senshi who is nothing without the youmas."

            "How can you say that?"

"Rei has Yuuichirou and her temple, and 30 different talents to go with it. Mako has Motoki and a thriving cooking business. Ami is on her way to being a doctor, and she's not exactly alone either.  And you two have each other, Chibi-Usa, and a future Royal status. What do I have? My whole life I've never had a boyfriend, outside of my songs I have no talents and lately those haven't been there for me, and I'm not going anywhere with school."

Staying as far away from the touchy subject of her singing career they tried to cheer her up.

            "That's not true. First you have your sporting talent, you're great with children, and there's always your English." 

            "Plus, how many different things have you done in the past few years, not many people, including us, get to sample so much life has to offer."

            "Okay but where do those things get me? I'm not going to grow old coaching young Americans." 

            Mamoru replied, "No, but you're coordination, adaptability, and compassion will come in handy in…" 

            "When?" Minako cut him off

            "Someday. Soon. Don't give up hope Minako-chan." Usagi replied

            After a few parting words and hugs, Mamorusan and Usagichan headed off to dinner, and Minako headed off to the H.S. gym. When Minako got there, she used her key (from coaching) and grabbed to only free volleyball, and dove into practice. Serve, Spike, Retrieve she was running around hitting the ball off the walls.

Elsewhere in time and space, Duo was having similar thoughts.  He was walking down a beautifully restored L1 street kicking a rock, hands in pocket and thinking. On Duo's mind was last night at dinner. The three of them were sitting around the table as usual eating and conversing, but last night was weird. Duo really felt out of place and not wanted. Things had been progressing like this for the past couple of months—Duo's jokes weren't getting any laughs in fact they were getting eye-rolls. Heero never had time for a good brawl or a ball game, for that matter. 

Last time he visited Quatre, Duo was constantly being put last, only because Quatre's Advisors kept coming in to get something signed, for some advice, or to speak on new issue pretty much what Duo imagined visiting the president would be like. See the people in the "Winner Family Company" were so impressed with Quatre's decision to turn things over to them. After 3 months of freedom and arguing amongst themselves, they decided they needed a boss or at least better organization.  And they all agreed to let Quatre be that man. Duo knew Quatre didn't have time for him, but he was okay with that. 

All though there were difficulties, talking to Trowa too.  Catherine was always being over protective. Manager wanted to try new stunts… after all he knew Trowa would do anything. Duo's week at the circus was spent playing solitaire, video games with the bearded lady, falling off the high wire oh say 30 times, and almost being eaten by the lion twice. In short, Duo thought the circus was supposed to be fun, but instead everything was so serious. 

Then there's the last time he saw Wufei. It was ever so briefly as Wufei was chasing after some wanted criminal and Duo just happened to be in the same restaurant that this future terrorist was taking refuge. He saw Sally more often than he actually did Wufei, but he didn't let that bother him. After all, they were never that close. The one time he did spend the night on the ship with Sally, Duo woke up in a space suit floating outside the craft—apparently he snores.

So here he was kicking a rock wandering and wondering if he'd worn out yet another welcome with his only friends. 

"Duo! Duo!" It was Hilde. "Hey Duo whatcha doin' here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Oh I live here now, the doctor who treated me after…" she sighed, "well he's just the greatest, singlest guy in the world, so I married him. Yeah we live uptown."

"Oh yeah, Well I'm glad you're finally happy kid." He said 'punching' her chin. 

"I live in the big house out there with Heero and Relena."  Duo said pointing back the way they came.

"Oh yeah. Good to see ya Duo I gotta run." Hilde said taking off again. 

Duo waved goodbye and as she turned the corner shook his head and said, "She is one weird girl."

"Speaking of girls, what are you doing tonight?" Duo turned to see Heero standing next to him.

"Oh no, I'm not going to another one of Relena's boring Peace Dinners just because there's an odd number of people. The last time I did that, I had to dance with the psycho-staring-into-my-eyes-girl for over an hour." 

"Come on Duo it wasn't that bad."

"Well you can just forget it! You two go entertain yourselves. Count me out."

"You're not going to make me suffer alone are you?"

"Heero last time you said that we were so bored we started a food fight and got kicked out and then we still had to wait around for your princess."

"Yeah that was fun."   Both boys laughed about some memory of that night, but the laughter didn't last long.       

"Heero, are you happy?"

"What. Where did that come from?"

"I mean here with Relena."

"Yeah, of course."

"Don't you miss it?"

"What?"

"Fighting, flying around in your Gundam, just living day by day."

"Sure, all the time."

"So what does the 'Perfect Soldier' do when the war is over?"  Heero didn't answer.   "Well sure you, you got lucky, you have Relena. Just replace one battle with another." To that Heero raised an eyebrow. "But what do I do? I don't have a boring-ass job that I oddly enough love, a circus, a family business, or a family for that matter to return to." 

"Well neither did I."

"No, and I suppose that's why were still together, but you have something else… Something I'll never have."  

"Well I guess I see your point, 'cause we both know you'll never have Relena." Heero sat there with a devilish look on his face.

Duo hit Heero, "OH SICK!! That's not what I mean, well it is WHAT I mean, but it's not WHO I mean. Ya know what I mean?"

"Duo, Duo there are plenty of girls out there, wasn't that just Hill, Hillbilly, Hilda… uh…"

"Hilde."

"You would know."

"She married her doctor."

"Oh." Heero bit his inner lower lip in thought  "Well she's just one of millions and…"

"…and there's sure to be someone out there who wants a smartass no talent out of work Gundam pilot…"

"Who dresses like a priest and has longer hair than any girl."

Duo raises his brow, "Hey I never rip on your clothes, and as for my hair."

"Oh your hair, I forgot speaking out against the hair is forbidden." Hero rolled his eyes and threw up hands. "Okay what's REALLY bothering you?"

"Oh just that I'm a no-talent-out-of-work-Gundam-pilot."

"And?"

"Out of the 5 of us, I seem to be the only one without a future. Quatre's got like all of L3 worshiping him and asking him to make it all perfect. Speaking of perfect, Wufei  is floating around in space with the only girl who would even consider putting up with his shit since the war. And Trowa has the circus, you have Relena,  me… I have nothing." 

"Well…" Heero thought hard about what to tell Duo that he had, " you have your life, and it's all still in front of you." Okay that was cliché, but it seemed to work.

"Yeah sure I just turned 20, the war is over, and for the most part we have the freedom to do whatever we want."

"But?"

"Heero. I'm bored, I feel like I'm beginning to out stay my welcome, and I have absolutely no idea what I want to or can do with  'the rest of my life' " Air quoting.

"Your welcome?! Duo in my house my best friend is always welcome. Even with stale jokes."  Heero put his arm on Duo's shoulder, "Okay?"

Duo nods, "Okay. I'm still not coming tonight!"

"Did I mention your old stories?"

"Heero guilt-tripping doesn't work on us, it never has and never will. Who do you think you're talking to Quatre? Or maybe you take me for Relena?" Duo raises his brows, holds out his hands as if to say, 'Well?'

"Fine you don't have to go, but if anyone sees you moping around the colony, I'm going to get an earful from Relena so why don't you come home."

"Compromise. I'll get off the street. I'm heading to the gym. A little b-ball to clear the head."

"Okay, I'll see you later."

"Yeah sure." 

Heero stopped at the corner stand to pick up a bouquet and headed back to Relena. Duo observed this, shook head and screamed out, "Heero!!!" when Heero turned Duo made a whip crack move in the air, "Whhhppshhh!" Heero so wanted to hit him or flip him off but knowing then he'd really hear it from… Ah Duo is so right I am so whipped… Heero thought. Shook his head and walked off ignoring Duo, who simply burst into laughter from this.

After he'd had enough, he wiped the tears from his eyes and walked to the gym. Odd that it'd be empty this time of night, but Duo figured tonight maybe being alone would be a good thing.  So he grabbed one of the orange balls from the cart and started to practice his free throws, 3's, and lay-ups.

Meanwhile, in her own gym Minako was spiking the ball against the wall repetitively, until one time she lost her concentration and the ball came back and hit her in the face. Though it was no big deal, face-balls had happened at least 100 times before but tonight she just wasn't in the mood. So she did the one thing no volleyball player should ever do; she kicked the ball. And hard! It hit the wall with such force it sprang a huge leak. Minako couldn't find another volleyball so she grabbed a basketball cart and started chucking  them in the general direction of the hoop. "You stupid… [chuck] …Stupid…[chuck]… STUPID… [chuck] BALL!" She accented stupid for every ball she threw. Finally by pure chance one hit the backboard and came back, a nice yellow ball, taking this as a sign Minako grabbed this ball and left the others in various corners of the gym.  Dribbling, "Okay Mina, calm down, let's try this for real."  She stood at the 3 and shot the ball, it bounced off the rim the first two times, the next time she squared off better and actually sank it. Minako stood at the top of the key and sank three in a row, she grabbed the ball and having calmed down a little decided to dribble it around thinking, _' I wish I wasn't alone,'_ looking around she thought, _'Although, by now I would have scared them away.'_ She took the ball to the top of the key once more and thought "It's jut not fair out of the five of us, I'm the only one who has nothing without fighting" and chucked the ball straight for the backboard, when her yellow ball struck, it didn't bounce back, instead an orange ball came flying at her from its place and it disappeared.

At the exact same time, Duo was standing at the top of the key thinking, "this is so not fair, out of the five of us, I'm the only one who has nothing without fighting." And made the exact same shot, when a yellow ball came back at him instead of his orange, he freaked a little but immediately thought

  
  


            Give me back my ball!                                                  Give me back my ball!

            Duo threw it up at the                                                   Minako bounced it and shot it back up,

            backboard but still the yellow.                                       but hers did not return. After

            A few tries later he took the ball and                             a few more tries, she walked up 

            at the wall directly under the hoop…                             to the wall under the hoop…

  
  


AND shoved it into the wall screaming "Give me back my BALL!" This time not only did it work but they both got their balls in the gut.  Minako's first reaction was to punch the wall only instead she locked with a jaw on the other side. Duo in return punched back but instead Minako grabbed his arm and pulled. Yanking him right through the wall and time.

Duo fell and hit the ground, swallowed hard; not knowing what to say he rolled over sat up and touched his lip, "Ow." 

Minako looked at him knelt down and said, "Gomen nasai." 

Duo blinked, looked up and said, "go-men-ass-I?" 

Minako stuck out a hand to help him up and said, "Atashi wa Aino Minako. Sumimasen panchi wa anata no ago." 

Duo didn't take her hand instead he gasped, choked on air and began to back away. "What the Hell! Why don't I have any clue what you just said?" Duo turned got up and began to run.  He came around and hit the wall where he came in saying, "Oh man, I wanna go home, TAKE ME BACK!!!" THUD! Duo hit the wall and fell back; the 'door' was gone. 

"Would you just calm down!" 

"Huh?"  

"I'm sure there is a… logical explanation to all of this." She stuck her hand out, and this time he took it. "Kon'nichi wa, er I mean welcome to Japan…" 

"You speak English?" 

"No I'm speaking stupid boy talk, that's the only reason you understand me." Minako cocked her head and smiled. 

Duo just blinked at her, "Did you say Japan?"  

"Yes, I'm Aino Minako" she said extending her hand in "English" greeting. 

"Duo Maxwell." He said shaking back briefly and heading past her towards the window. Duo looked out the window, nodded and said to himself, "Okay I'm on Earth."  Minako heard this but decided not to comment. "Um…Okay this might sound weird but what year is it?" 

"Two Thousand." Minako said slowly. 

"AD Right?" 

"No, Tokyo looked this good back in BC." 

Duo simply laughed at this comment. 

"What?" 

"No wonder why I don't understand you." 

"Huh?" 

"Oh what did you say your name was again?" 

"Aino Minako." 

Duo stared, blinked, "Uh-huh, and what do I call you?" 

"Mina. You can call me Mina." 

"Okay. Mina I can handle." 

"And your name is Duo Maxwell?" 

–Nods- 

"So should I call you Max or Maxwell?" 

"How about Duo, unless you'd prefer to use my last name." 

"Oh I always forget, you guys put your individual names first and your family names last." 

"Sure why not first name first, last name last." 

"Oh I hate that term, what makes it your first name?" 

"Because it comes first." 

"Well see then my first name would be Aino, but seeing as that is my family name, I'd rather be called Minako or Mina." 

"You people are backwards. It's Cool. Wufei's like that too." 

Minako shook her head "Oh I give up." And then looking around she began to pick up her stray balls. 

Duo decided to help, "So uh, Mina two questions." 

"Shoot." 

He took the ball and made a shot, "How did I get here, and how will I get back?" 

Minako looked from the board and back to Duo, "Uh, well I don't know, I'll find a way, and how about a game?"  

"What you and me?" 

"Yeah sure I can play." 

"Okay you're on." 

"Okay rules, one point per basket, first to 21 wins?" 

"Sounds good to me, uh ladies first so I'll inbound it." 

After pretty much a point-for-point-game they were tied 20-20, it was Duo's turn. He takes the ball and drives up the middle Minako throws the foul, but no good his shot still makes it as they fall to the ground. Minako is pinned under Duo… "Not a bad game." 

"For a girl?" 

"No I mean it you play…uh…hard." 

"Thanks, Say Duo two things…" 

"Huh?" 

"You hungry?" 

"Oh I'm starved, I haven't eaten since noon."  

"And do you think you could get off me?" 

"Oh yeah. Sorry," Duo said as he got up and pulled Minako to her feet as well. 

            Minako senses Duo's Americanism and takes him out for burgers and fries. At dinner she asks, "So where are you from?" 

"Uh, well it's kinda hard to explain so…we'll go with America." 

"Okay I guess I can accept America."

After dinner Minako asks Duo, "Have you ever been to Japan?" 

He replies, "Not really, and never Tokyo in fact I'm lost right now." 

"Okay, well unless you've got a better idea I'm going to bring you to my home. I have a spare room you can crash in, and…" 

"And? Tomorrow? Uh home?" 

"Duo slow down. One thing at a time we did food, now we'll do slumber, and tomorrow we'll worry about, well, tomorrow. Don't worry I'll get you home, I promise."    

            Duo looked at her skeptically at first, let out a small ½ chuckle, ½ sigh, smiled, nodded once, sighed again and gestured her to lead the way.   After Minako started forward, Duo looked off to the side away from her as he walked, and with a worried expression he thought_, 'We don't even know how I got here, how are you even going to get me home? And how do I tell you Where and When home is?'_

            Minako led Duo to her apartment, showed him the spare-room and then went to her own bed and crashed. Duo wasn't much different; he looked around the room a little, snooped under the bed, in the closet, and the drawers. He sat down on the bed, pulled off his boots and his top shirt, flung his feet up as he flipped onto the bed. "Ah, Heero if you could only see me now. I wonder if they'll even really miss me?" and that was Duo's last thought as he fell asleep. 

Artemis turned the light off in Duo's room and went into Minako's. "Who is he?" Artemis said, jumping on Minako's head to wake her. 

Minako's eyes slowly opened and she rolled over, "A spaceman." 

"What do you mean by spaceman? He's not some weird alien you picked up on a corner, is he?" 

Minako cocked and eyebrow and raised her head. Looked at Artemis and just blinked in response. Finally she said, "Artemis, his name is Duo and he'll be staying with us for a while, get used to it." She rolled out of bed, went to the mirror, pulled the red bow out of her hair, changed her clothes, brushed her hair, and went back to bed, this time turning out the lights. Artemis shook his head, walked down the hall and peeked in on Duo. When he saw him fast asleep, he turned back to Minako's and curled up at her feet.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

            "a destiny equal to the gods" takes place in 2000 because it was originally written in 2000… and it's the end of a century and the beginning of a new destiny. 

            A little note about birthdays: Minako was born on October 22… and Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon was created in 1992 and the girls were described as 14. So I placed their birth dates to be in 1978… which means that on October of that year she turns 22. 

            In Mobile Suit Gundam Wing everyone says that the guys are 15 in AC 195… so naturally we decided that they were born in 180. Okay… well… my roommate and I have a theory: since giving birth dates is not a very important trait in Gundam-dom we decided that we would take the zodiac signs and give the guys our own birthdays. 

Trowa: January 20, AC 179 (we refused to believe that he wasn't the oldest.) Heero: November 4, 179 (we also refused to believe that he was the youngest.) Relena: March 13, 180. Quatre: June 22, 180. Duo: August 8, 180. And Wufei: September 16, 180. You don't have to buy into our birthday scheme… we honestly won't be offended, but for purposes of this series of fics these are how we have the birthdays set up. 

            A Japanese note: Uh…think of this as a film… and some times the characters say things in their native language that you aren't supposed to be able to understand. When Minako introduces herself she is speaking Japanese and it's a big deal because Duo doesn't understand her… which is good… because I don't understand her and that Japanese there… is pretty much gibberish. Well… actually it's one of those **_if_** I manage to get the right words I'm sure I've got them in the wrong order. I know a lot of useless vocab but I've yet to learn sentence structure… so forgive me that one little line. (if a native speaker can understand what I'm trying to say… then they can e-mail me the right way to say it… otherwise… when I get to that part in my studies I'll come back and change it on my own.) 

            Okay… as a final note… I'd like to thank Queen-chan for talking to me about Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing until I was so flipped around that I was calling the show Gundam Moon and not realizing that I was trying to splice the two together. It is because of that late night conversation that the vision for this story came about. :-) 

            Please let me know what you think thus far… I have a lot more of this where it came from but… if no one else finds it remotely interesting then… uh… I'll take it down and just keep it in my personal collection. 


	2. Where the Heart Leads

_Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon_ was created by Naoko Takeuchi. 
    
    _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_ is the brainchild of Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino. 
    
    The rights of these two manga/anime are reserved by the creators and many many other companies and people. 
    
    I only pray that in the world where anime characters are real Duo and Minako find true love… 
    
    and hope that no one will sue me for writing one such version of my wish. 
    
    **_a destiny equal to the gods_**
    
    ****
    
    _"By the calm sea of the evening, we had lots of fun together_
    
    _You, who are so warm to me, I saw your dream_
    
    _Like this was our first love, our spirits were made to dance_
    
    _Every time we passed by, we became so sweet with each other"_
    
                   -- Aino Minako
    
                                   _"Anata no Yume wo Mita wa;_
    
    _                               I saw your dream"_

Where the Heart Leads 

Just before dawn in the colonies. "Heero, have you seen Duo?" 

"Hmm," Heero said waking to Relena's question. 

"Duo? Pagan said he didn't return last night." 

"He's just blowing off steam. Relena, he's an adult now you don't have to mother him." 

"Oh so is that what you think I'm doing," Relena said tickling him. 

"Mmhmm…" was the last thing Heero said before he pinned her arms down trying to go back to sleep.

            Morning came, the sun shown brightly in Duo's room. After an hour of tossing Duo opened his eyes and groaned, "Mmmm…I hate mornings." But that's about as far as Duo's laziness went; he crawled out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. Minako was still sound asleep, but Artemis was up with a start when he heard Duo's door open. He crept out of Minako's room and followed Duo into the kitchen.

            Duo searched the fridge then began to open cupboard after cupboard. Artemis jumped up on the counter and stared at Duo. "Oh Hey. Mina didn't tell me she had a cat," Duo leaned down so he was eye level with Artemis, "So what's your name little kitty?" Artemis raised an eyebrow otherwise his expression did not change. Duo gave it 10 seconds then stood back up, "Good name. So Kitty do you know if Mina has any pancake mix?"

            Meanwhile Minako stirred, rolled over, and looked at the clock. 7:00 A.M. then she rolled back over; her head hit the pillow again.  Believing last night's events were all a dream, she sighed and said, "Ah what a wonderful dream, Artemis." She looked down at her feet and then under the bed, but he was not there. Minako grabbed a robe and as she opened the door the scent of fresh pancakes hit her. "Artemis?" She turned the corner to see a huge stack of pancakes on the table, 2 place settings, syrup, butter, and Artemis. Minako sleepily, yet a little alarmed walked out to the table, "Artemis?" 

"Oh, so that's his name," Duo said as he brought a pitcher of orange juice to the table. 

"AHHHHHHHHH," Minako jumped putting her hand to her chest, "Oh Duo, you startled me. For a second I thought I dreamed you up." 

"Sorry Mina, no such luck." 

They sat down to the table; "I don't believe you made pancakes." 

"Ah it was nothing, rummage through enough cupboards and you find what you need. Your cat was no help though." 

Minako looked at Artemis, "He never is." Artemis gave her a look, but she ignored him. Minako and Duo talked about pancakes, cats, and the game last night. As Minako was about to talk about her volleyball, Artemis has gotten tired of being ignored so he went under the table and bit her ankle. "Ow." Minako said as she closed her eyes and absorbed the pain. She looked under the table, sighed, "Duo will you excuse us?" Minako grabbed Artemis and pulled him into the bedroom. 

"What?" She sat down on the bed, "Oh if I'm even bleeding…" 

"I'm sorry Mina but we needed to talk." 

"Okay fine, What?" 

"Who is he?" 

"Duo Maxwell." 

"Where does he come from?" 

"America." 

"And how did he get here? How do you know him? Why is he here in our house?" 

"Artemis, you ask too many questions. Look, I'm only going to say this once, I pulled him through the wall at the gym and until I get him home he's my responsibility." 

"Huh, through the wall?" 

"Yeah, I'm not quite sure how that happened, but I guess it really doesn't matter." 

"What do you mean it doesn't matter, Mina he could be an alien, a youma, and you invited him home. How could you be so naïve?" 

"Take my word on this Artemis, my pulling him through the wall was fate, not a monster attack." 

"How can you be sure?" 

"Just trust me, will ya?" she said as she left the room. 

Artemis sat on the bed staring out the door as he watched Minako sit back down to breakfast, he shook his head and said softly to himself, "I trust you whole-heartedly, Mina. I just don't trust him."

            After another helping of 'cakes, Minako got up and started the dishes, as she did so she could see Artemis staring at Duo from the hallway, she put the plate down in the sink, turned off the water and said, "You wanna get out of here?" 

"Sure, what d'ya have in mind?" 

"You'll see… just give me 2 minutes to get dressed." Surprisingly, two minutes later Minako was ready, hair bowed and all, and they were out the door without a second thought to the dishes or Artemis.

            This first day Minako took Duo everywhere. First they walked through the park, and then she took him to the museum. They spent almost an hour in the ancient Japanese weaponry display alone. After a small lunch at the museum Minako took Duo to an amusement park. Ride after ride, until the 30th time on the loopy-upside-down-faster-than-lightening-ride when Minako felt she might—just might—loose her lunch, she decided it was time for a break. Duo who just wanted more and more couldn't quite comprehend why Minako wanted to sit the next one out, decided that if she didn't want to go again neither did he. "So what's next?" 

"Well, normally I'd say frivolous shopping, but..." 

"Okay." 

"OK?" 

"Sure why not?" 

"Okay!" Minako took Duo by the hand and led him to the mall. First they went clothes shopping, Minako's favorite thing to do, and Duo had a blast playing with the sunglasses and hats and watching Minako try on one crazy outfit after another.  When he picked out a pair of orange leather pants Minako decided it was time for the next store. After the third Mina-clothes store, she could tell he was getting bored so she reversed the roles and lead him to a Duo-clothes store. When she returned the favor of leather pants, Duo surprised her and actually tried them on. Minako blinked and sighed as he headed back in to the changing room to try them on. 

The sales clerk leaned over to her, "I'd hang on to this one I've worked here 20 years and never have I seen a guy willing to model leather pants for a girl." Minako smiled and waited for Duo's return. 

Duo exited the curtain sporting just the black leather pants—the clerk's mouth hit the floor. Minako's smile didn't fade instead it grew. She was too busy staring at Duo to even notice when Usagi and Rei walked by shopping for their men. "So what do you think, are they me?" 

_'Oh in so many ways,' _Minako thought but all she could say was "….[nod]…." 

Duo laughed to himself as he walked over to her, "Mina. I'm going to go take them off now. Are you okay with that?" 

Minako came out of her trance, laughed/sighed and gave Duo a push, "You're such a…" 

"…tease," the clerk said.

 "…jerk. I was going to say jerk, but she's right tease fits you too." 

"Funny." 

"You'd better go change before she attacks you." Duo nodded and returned to the dressing room, a few minutes later he returned dressed as Duo again. And they headed off to video/music store. 

Usagi had picked out a new shirt for Mamoru and as she went to check out, the sales clerk was still staring off into space. "Ahem, are you all right?" 

"Huh…oh sure..." 

"What's all the excitement?" Rei asked as she came up behind Usagi. 

"Oh don't tell me you missed him." 

"Who?" 

"The fine American in the leather pants." 

"Leather's just not my style," Usagi said as she paid for the shirt. 

Rei turned with her, "You're still drooling," she said to the clerk as they left. 

"How weird was that?" Rei said as they passed the music store. 

"Yeah. All that fuss over leather pants. Can you just imagine?" And they did, each took a moment to imagine their men in leather pants, both shook their heads and walked on.

            When they were done in the music store, Minako stopped in the bookstore briefly and they left the mall. As they headed back through the park, Minako saw the perfect tree. "Come on, I know the best place to veg out for awhile." They passed a vendor and bought some food. They sat under the 'perfect' tree, ate, talked, and relaxed. After awhile, Minako pulled out her new book and Duo stretched out under the tree. Minako was reading out loud when Duo fell asleep leaning against the tree, and shortly after Minako dozed off leaning on Duo's knees and this is how they stayed as the sun set in the west.  Duo woke first, grabbed Minako's book and put it in her bag, then scooped her up in his arms, and carried her home. 

            When he returned to her apartment, he found Artemis waiting up for them. He whispered, "Wh- if your cat could talk, I'd be getting an earful right now." To this Minako smiled in her sleep. Duo carried her to her bed, laid her down, removed her shoes, the bow from her hair, and his braid from her hand. Covered her up and as he turned out the light, Minako rolled on her side and sleepily said, "Duo…" 

Duo smiled then said, "Sheesh, you've only known me one day, and all ready you're calling out my name in your sleep."  

To this came a soft reply, "Or maybe I just wanted to tell you something before you left." 

Duo walked back over to the bed, "Oh yeah, like what?" 

"I don't remember anymore." 

"Good night Mina" 

"G'night Duo." 

Duo left her room and headed down the hall; he looked at Artemis and said, "Down, Cujo. I returned her safe and sound." He then walked into the room, shut the door, kicked off his shoes, pulled his shirts off over his head, turned out the light, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.  

            Meanwhile Heero was checking the gym, at the edge of the court he found Duo's coat. Heero picked it up and looked around the court. There was no sign of a struggle so he was fairly certain Duo hadn't been attacked, but why would he forget his coat? Heero proceeded to check EVERY room in the building; he even went as far as to ask a few regulars if they'd seen Duo. But everyone had said, "Sorry, I wasn't here last night." Normally Heero wouldn't give a second thought to Duo's absence, but this time something seemed off.

            The following morning when the first rays of light shown in Duo's window, he stirred slightly, his eyes fluttered open, then he remembered where he was and sat straight up, "Hmmm… I wonder what's up for today!" Duo grabbed his shoes as he flung out the door. To his surprise there was breakfast, a letter, and a pile of clothes at the table for him. Duo read the letter, it said, "Duo, I'm sure the food's still hot/cold, eat, then get dresses. When you're ready knock on my door and we'll go. J Mina." Minako had made scrambled eggs, French toast, topped with a bowl of cereal, a half of grapefruit, OJ and milk. Duo ate everything in about 5 minutes, took the clothes and headed to the bathroom where he freshened up and changed. Minako had gotten him a pair of khakis, a blue oxford to match his eyes, and a pair of simple black steel toed shoes. Duo didn't ask any questions, he just got ready and headed down the hall, knocked on Minako's door. "So Mina, what are we doing today?" 

"You'll see." 

"Can we go to the amusement park again?" 

Minako opened the door; she stood in the doorway one arm stretched up leaning against the frame she said, "I had something better in mind." Minako was wearing a short orange dress, a red shrug, and yellow knee-high boots. Duo didn't question her decision to avoid the rides; instead he smiled, held out a hand and said, "Shall we?" 

            First, Minako led Duo to the Art Museum and on a general tour of downtown Tokyo, basically just to pass the time. "No offense Mina, but paintings versus rides, rides would win here." 

"I know but that's not what we're doing today." 

"Oh come on a little clue?" 

"Nope." 

 Around lunchtime Minako led Duo to a traditional Japanese restaurant, they had to remove their shoes, sit on the floor, the whole shebang. Minako introduced Duo to sake and a million of different Japanese customs. She said it was 'practice incase they ran into anyone important tonight.' 

            "You sure have a lot of rules for one little meal." 

"I know; it's tradition."

            Afterwards, Minako took Duo to a baseball game. _'I know we didn't get dressed up for this,'_ Duo thought. 

_'He's so lost,'_ Minako thought as she saw the confusion on Duo's face, and just squeezed his arm, "Do you know much about baseball?" 

"Oh yeah sure, it's a classic right. There was the Candy Bar guy, and the Barefoot Dude, oh and the Home Run hitters, and then…" Duo stopped realizing he didn't remember when all of those people actually lived so he'd better not mention someone or something that hadn't happened yet. 

"I'm sure you meant Babe Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and guys like Sosa and McGuire…Duo are you okay?" 

"Yeah I'm fine, I've actually never seen a baseball game before." 

"Really?" 

"No they aren't to common where I live." 

"Well good then you're in for a treat." 

"Mina?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Is it too late to tell you I know nothing about baseball?" 

Minako smiled, "I kinda figured as much." 

            During warm ups, Duo was worse than a kid in a candy store, it didn't help that they were sitting in the first row of the lowest balcony. He kept leaning over the edge; Minako thought he was going to fall. When the game started, Minako let Duo buy food from some guy shouting out, "Hot Dog!"   "Coca-Cola," came the next, everyone else he didn't understand so he didn't buy from him or her. Minako sat back and smiled—she'd never seen someone get so much joy out of a baseball game.  _'You truly are American,'_ she thought. Duo stopped to look back at Minako, half a hot dog in hand, mustard on his lower lip, Minako simply smiled, "Are you having fun yet?" 

Duo sat down next to her, "Who would have thought this could be so much fun?" 

"Millions of Americans who made it their national pastime," Minako said trying not to laugh. 

"What?" 

"It's just…" she said taking her thumb to Duo's lip.

 "…mustard," Duo completed as he took her thumb keeping his eyes locked on hers, and gently stuck her thumb in his mouth to remove the mustard. 

Minako shyly took her hand back, and to end the silence she pointed out to the field, "Look, Nelson's up to bat, he'll…"

            The first three innings were slow as far as baseball goes, but Duo was enjoying every minute of it. In the fourth inning, the game picked up a little with an awesome double play. The short stop covered second as the second base man slid down the line to grab the bouncing ball, chucked it in one smooth motion to the first base man who the proceeded to throw it to 2nd where the short stop was waiting to get the other runner out. In the bottom of the fourth, the other team shot right back with an amazing sliding catch in centerfield. The fifth inning was just as promising; the third batter hit a ball into the stands just below Minako and Duo. The next one he hit was higher but not quite high enough Duo found out as he reached out to catch the ball, fell over the rail, flipped around as his free hand snagged the rail, and with a little help from Minako pulled himself back up to the seat. "I can't believe you did that!" Minako said hitting Duo, "You nearly scared me to death!" 

Duo just sat back, "Hey I caught it didn't I?" Minako couldn't help but smile, laugh, and return to the game. 

Afterwards, Minako and Duo were casually walking to the next place on the trip. Duo was tossing his souvenir with one hand while Minako hung on his other arm. "I still can't believe you caught that." 

"I can't believe _this amazed you." _

"What do you mean?" 

"You pulled me through the wall of a basketball court and five minutes later we're playing a game and I've been invited home. Most people would just freak." 

"Oh that's nothing, you should have seen me the first time I heard Artemis talk, I was just like not now…" 

"Wait your cat talks?!" 

"Uh-oooo…" Minako shut her eyes not believing she just let that slip, "Did I forget to mention that?" 

"Just slightly, so what else haven't you told me?" 

"Me? What about you, where exactly do you come from?" 

"I told you." 

"Yeah America, what part of America doesn't have baseball?" 

"Uh…" Duo swallowed hard, "Alaska." 

"Sure but where do you live? Come on Duo you know one of my secrets, fill me in on just one of yours."  

Duo sighed, "I live on a space colony near the moon." 

"Really the moon?" Minako said with just a bit too much enthusiasm. 

Duo kinda gave her a weird look and continued, "The year is After Colony 200, so it's about 300 plus years in the future. Mina I'm from the future." 

"Wow. Well that sorta explains why you've never seen a ballgame, I guess, but mostly why you've been so secretive." 

"Well baseball, it's not an unpopular game, it's just I've spent most of my life in war, and baseball just wasn't the game we had time for." 

"Let me guess basketball." 

"Yeah and whatever that was they tried to teach us in school." 

Minako laughed. 

"So what's your favorite sport?" 

"Volleyball. I had to give it up to become a superheroine though," Minako smiled. 

"Oh is that so." 

"Now I coach a team of youngsters." 

"Sounds like fun." 

"It is." 

"But?" 

"I don't know, I want more from life than to be a junior high volleyball coach."  

Duo knew exactly how she felt, "Don't worry Mina it'll happen." Minako smiled put her head on his shoulder and they walked the rest of the way like this. Mostly in silence, with only a few words here and there to point things out." 

When they arrived in front of a theatre, Minako stopped. "We're here." She led Duo inside. 

"So what are we watching?" 

"Okay, I'll tell you, tonight we're going to see a traditional Japanese play. It's called Miss Saigon."

            Duo gave her an odd look. "Wasn't Saigon in Vietnam?"

            Minako smiled, "Okay so it's a western play that's been painstakingly adapted to Japanese."

            Duo smiled. He wasn't really sure if he was going to like the play. He really hadn't been to one before and this one had to do with a war to boot. Here he was trying to move on and find a bigger purpose and she takes him to a play about war. As soon as the lights came up and the story began, even though he didn't understand a spoken word of it, he was glued to the stage. 

            Afterwards Minako took him backstage and introduced him to the actors. She pointed out the "mayor" and other huge figures of Tokyo. After the crowds left, Minako and Duo decided that they shouldn't detain the actors any longer, so they too parted with the theatre. Duo was so buzzed after that, he had a song going through his head. He didn't know the words, but that didn't stop him from singing it and dancing out in to the street. Minako laughed, "Do you have any idea what that song was about?" 

"She was sad because he was leaving." 

"How'd you know that?" 

"Can't you just feel the sadness and pain she was singing?" 

"Yes, I can," under her breath she continued, "I know exactly how she feels." 

Duo felt this too, but he wasn't letting on. Minako smiled weakly at Duo as he danced on, Duo realized she'd stopped watching him, and knew for some reason Minako was sad. So he went up behind her, put his arms around her waist, continued to hum, swaying them back and forth. Minako put her hands in his and swayed right along with him. Duo slowly stopped humming as he spun her around and they began to slow dance together. No sooner than they had begun the heaven's let and water trickled out onto the city. Minako and Duo barely noticed the rain as they continued dancing to the silent music. As they danced closer, Duo's hands were playing with Minako's hair. She laid her head on his shoulder, and as the rain ran down their faces, Duo slowly pulled the bow from her hair and ran his fingers throughout. By this time it really had begun to rain, as the actors and orchestra were leaving the theatre some of them took notice of Minako and Duo. One violinist who was standing under the awning began to play softly the very song they were dancing to. Soon another joined him, and as they stood there waiting for the rain to let up they all joined in, and a few actresses began to sing the song. At one point all the people were either singing or playing. For many minutes neither Minako nor Duo realized the music was not in their heads. When the main actress who had sung the song came out, she had to stop the singers, as she began a new rendition of the tune. The difference was in this song instead of the two lovers being torn apart by war and circumstances, two star-crossed lovers met by chance, by fate, one night. And from the very first time she looked into his eyes, she knew he was the man she could spend an entire eternity with. He felt this too, grabbed the girl in passing one night and kissed her passionately; for in this kiss he knew that this was the girl he'd waited his entire life to find. 

            It wasn't until Minako opened her eyes to look up at Duo that either of them realized they were not alone. Minako smiled, looked up at Duo, who had now opened his eyes to see Minako staring behind him. Duo pulled Minako in and spun her around; he leaned down to kiss her, but stopped when he saw the crowd of people that had gathered to watch them. Duo laughed and looked at Minako who was smiling too; they both stopped dancing and walked side-by-side back to the theatre.  

            They had been invited to join the cast for dinner, but before either Minako or Duo could decide if that was really where they wanted to be tonight, the leading lady spoke up and said in English, "No they'd be much happier in their own company tonight. We've already interrupted a…dance. Let's not keep them apart a moment longer." Minako and Duo looked at each other and blushing they agreed. As they were leaving the actress softly said something in Japanese to Minako. Minako smiled and nodded, looked up at Duo who had no idea what was said, but happy that Minako was happy Duo did not ask instead he simply smiled and continued walking with Minako under his arm.

              Nearly halfway back to Minako's they passed a cozy restaurant that served all kinds of food but mostly Japanese cuisine.  

…Duo stares at his plate, "What is this stuff?" 

"Food." 

"Does it come with instructions?" 

"Open mouth. Put in." 

Duo nods as Minako turns back to her plate. "So what exactly am I eating?" 

"Calamari." 

"Yeah I know that, but what is it?" 

"You ordered without knowing what it is?" 

"So." 

Minako laughs, "It's squid." 

"Squid, okay is there any part of this fishy I shouldn't eat?" 

Minako looks at Duo's plate, "No they removed all that stuff for you." 

Duo nods and takes his utensil in hand and pokes it. 

"Would you like me to try it first?" 

Duo looks at her and raises an eyebrow and without looking gets a stickful of food which falls before he gets it to his mouth. This goes on for another 30 seconds before Minako says, "Do you need a…fork?"  

"Do you own forks in Japan?" 

"No, not us common folk, only the "Emperor" can afford forks." 

Duo smiles, puts down the chopsticks and takes his fingers to his plate and eats his first squid. "This ain't bad." 

Minako just stares, "I was kidding about the fork stuff you know."  

"Believe it or not, I can read sarcasm." 

"Just checking," Minako said looking back down at her plate. 

"Hey Mina." 

"Hmm" she said looking up… SPLAT… she got an eyeful of Calamari. 

"Ever try squid before?" 

"Yes many times." 

"Oh well as an experienced squid-eater I would have thought you would have known it's supposed to go in your mouth." 

She smiled and laughed as she wiped the food out of her eye, looking around at all the people staring at them. She shakes her head, "You're lucky this time Maxwell." 

"I'll keep that in mind Aino," Duo said with a smile as he finished off his plate with one more handful of food. 

            Later Minako and Duo were walking down the street eating ice cream by the cone. "So where have you lived that you've never had squid?" 

"Uh, I was born on L2, now I live on L1 with some friends." 

Minako made a trying to remember face, "L1 and 2 are by the moon? And your friends are Heero and Relena?" 

"Yeah, you remembered, well despite the vast number of Oceans and Seas on the moon, none of them have any fish in them. So no squid." 

"Are you telling me you've never been off of those two colonies?" 

"Well no, I've been all over, I've been to numerous colonies, the moon, and Earth. But in space I never got the whole fancy food stuff, and in space squid is a pretty fancy food. When I was on Earth I just ate what I could, seeing as I really didn't have any money. And I guess squid was just never on the menu."  

"I'd say that's really sad, but then again I know tons of people who've never tried Calamari, and I'm sensing something much sadder in there." 

"Ahh.. what are you talking about, I had a happy fishless childhood. No painful past for me. See." Duo said smiling as normally as he could. 

"Duo, sweetie, you already told me you spent most of your life in war. But, um, tell me when do we start naming the years AC instead of AD?" 

"In about 100 years the population of Earth will be over 11 billion, so we turn to space, and start designing and building space colonies. They're set in five structural orbits around the Earth, L1 and 2 flank the moon, L4 is less than a fourth around the earth away from the moon, and L5 is just the opposite, then on it's own directly opposite the moon is L3. We'll that's pretty much how it goes. When these colony clusters become inhabitable, the majority of the population moves to space. It is at this time that we started a whole new calendar. Not long after that the world was in a war-free time." 

"War-free…" Minako said kinda starry-eyed. 

"Yeah but it doesn't last, war breaks out and goes on for like ever, longer than I've been alive. Well we're finally coming to a peaceful conclusion, but honestly without war I have no idea what I'm going to do."            

"I know that feeling." 

"How's that? I mean this is a time of peace isn't it?"  

"Yeah, a few religious wars in the Middle East, but no big world wide war." 

"So how is it you can begin to imagine how I feel, let alone know the feeling?"  

"Well…I shouldn't…" 

"Come on Mina, I told you everything you asked." 

Taking a deep breath, "Okay my friends and I fight a completely different kind of war, and we haven't seen any real action in over a year. I mean it's a good thing, no youmas, no aliens, no mad scientists trying to take over the world. But now I'm kinda…bored." 

"I follow you on the it's a good thing, but what exactly do you mean by youmas, and aliens?" 

"I shouldn't tell you, but I don't care. Have you ever heard of the Sailor Senshi?" 

"A bunch of school girls who fight evil creatures in really short sailor uniforms. I hate to burst your bubble Minako, but they didn't really exist." 

"No?" 

"No, superheroines like Wonder Women and the Sailor Senshi are myths." 

"Oh really," Minako said when she turned and ran into a dark alley, Duo followed, mostly thinking she was nuts and going to get herself hurt. Minako came to the end and stopped looked down at her melting cone and smiled a wicked grin. She turned and said, "Hey Duo hold this for me," and flung the cone in his face. Duo caught the cone but not the ice cream. It was all over his nose and brow. Without missing a beat as soon as Minako let go of the cone she grabbed her Transformation Pen, held it aloft and said, "Venus Crystal Power, Make UP!" Before Duo could say anything she began to transform basked in an orange glowing light. Duo stared, dropped the cones, as soon as Sailor Venus was standing in front of him smiling, he blinked, and speechless let the ice cream run down his face. "Oh young man, I didn't mean to startle you, but next time I suggest eating with your mouth and not your nose," she said as she took a finger to Duo's nose, "Mmmm Superman. My favorite flavor." 

Duo blinked again, with the most serious face he could muster said, "Excuse me Ma'am, but through all the ice cream and orange light I seem to have lost my girlfriend, have you seen her?" walking past her. "Mina! Mina?" looking behind the dumpster, "Where ever could she be?" Duo turned around to see Minako standing before him arms crossed and not amused. "Oh Mina you should have seen it, Sailor—uh Orange—uh Venus was just here!!!" She didn't move or respond she just stared at him. Duo stopped and finally looked her straight in the face. 

"Ma'am?"  Duo froze in terror realizing he had put his foot in his mouth, steel-toed boot and all. Minako just laughed, which made Duo laugh uneasily. "Relax, I'd never hurt my BOY-friend," she said turning. 

"Hey I was just thrilled I wasn't laughing, I can't be responsible for what I say. But seriously I missed that, could you do it again." Eyeing him suspiciously. Duo put his hands together and said, "PLLLEEEAASSSSSSEE."  

Minako held up her pen again and said, "Venus Crystal Power, Make UP!"  

When she finished she looked at Duo who had a big grin on his face, "That was cool but could you do it again?" 

She stared at him, "Why?" 

"Uh because I was blinded." 

"Sure if the light were really THAT bright someone would have been here by now." 

"Oh it wasn't the light that blinded me." 

"Oh?" 

"Uh turn back into Mina and I'll tell you." 

She tapped her foot, "Why should I?" 

"Because I don't want to be shocked or something when I point out you were like naked for like 30 seconds there." 

Minako laughed, "Men." 

"Oh wait speaking of shock, what can you do?" 

"Duo you are getting way too into this." 

"Come on you're my first superheroine." 

"Okay one demonstration." She looked at Duo, "Venus Love Me Chain!" She wrapped him up in her heart chain and pulled him in. But as they were standing eye to eye she couldn't help but laugh, "You still have ice cream all over your face." 

"Most of it's yours, you want it back?" without waiting for her response Duo kissed her, and while doing so she morphed back into Minako. When the chains released Duo put his arms around Minako and continued kissing her gently. After about a minute of this, Duo pulled away took a step to the side and without missing a beat he said, "That's okay Mina, I could have thrown you across the table and kissed the squid." Minako blinked just now realizing it was over. Duo headed back to the street, just before he got there he stopped looked over his shoulder and said, "You coming?" 

"Huh? Oh yeah," Minako said hurrying to catch up. 

"Good because I don't have a clue where I'm go…" Duo stopped as he reached the street, "…ing." 

"Did you forget my place is just-" Minako stopped as she saw what Duo saw. In the street blocking the exit to the alley were 12 built men each carrying either a lead pipe, chain, or knife.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes:

            The first day's events were meant to be rather basic and simple. The orange, leather pants come from life experience. The black, leather pants…. Oooh… well they come from uh… the fact that this is Duo… and… oooh… sorry, what was I talking about? Oh yeah… leather pants…on Duo… mmm… 

            Hmm… naturally… I had to take Duo to a baseball game. It's only one of my favorite sports. Most of the plays on the field were one's that I saw last summer while watching various baseball games. I know the double-play came from a college ball game, though it's been too long to remember which schools. I remember just staring at the field going… oooh that was cool… that… that has to be in one of my stories.

Let's see… I think I was watching the movie _Sayonara_ just before coming up with the second day. In the movie, assuming I remember which one I was watching, the main characters are an American military man who was stationed in Japan and fell in love with one of the women there. They attended a puppet-play about a couple who could not be together and so she sang of her sadness and killed herself… and he then left to go home. Kind of a Romeo-Juliet play really, and that play led to the end of the movie… when after everything else that they had tried to live through… instead of him returning to the States they took their lives together to live on in love forever. 

           Okay… there will be no taking of lives for love's sake in this story. 

***Amendment to my Notes: This chapter has taken so long to put up because I was reading about the types of theatre and realized that I'd made a fatal error in my story by including female actors. So I changed it a little to be a play format that if he were from America in our time he would recognize. Don't ask why I picked Miss Saigon… I just got a song stuck in my head and said… eh… that works. I also don't own this play. It was written by Alain Boublil. I will have Minako take Duo out to see a Kabuki play eventually…but she just couldn't get tickets for it this fast. ****

            Thanks goes out to… uh… my lack of customers at the restaurant I worked at two summers ago that went out of business… because that gave me lots of time to sit in a booth writing these scenes. 

            Please review and tell me what you think. Reviews help fuel the creative juices. Okay… so this story has been written for a while… but it'll help the creative juices flow for the sequel that is still in the process of being revised. ;-)

            Seriously though, I'd like feedback… any kind of honest feed back. 

------------------------------------------

Coming up next time: 

Usagi opened the door to Duo's room, she saw Minako's yellow boots, and two pair of Duo's shoes neatly placed by the bedside. On the bed, Minako and Duo we sound asleep curled up together under a blanket.


	3. A Heart Divided

I do not claim to own or be creative enough to have written any part or idea of _Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon _or _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_.   

I, like so many of us, left that up to Naoko Takeuchi and the team of Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino, respectively. And I humbly borrow their creations, staying true to them in the best of my ability, to bring you a love story set a few years beyond their visionary writings.  

_a destiny equal to the gods_

_"How long till I exchange emptiness for love?   
In case your spirit is alone,_

_ I'll stand alone..."_

—Aino Minako

"_Setsunakute ii; I'll Stand Alone_"

A Heart Divided 

Duo headed back to the street, just before he got there he stopped looked over his shoulder and said, "You coming?" 

"Huh? Oh yeah," Minako said hurrying to catch up. 

"Good because I don't have a clue where I'm go…" Duo stopped as he reached the street, "…ing." 

"Did you forget my place is just-" Minako stopped as she saw what Duo saw. In the street blocking the exit to the alley were twelve built men each carrying either a lead pipe, chain, or knife. 

            "Well what have we here boys?" said boss

            "Looks like a couple of little lost girls to me," a said one wearing a yellow and green striped shirt.  

            "You must have taken a wrong turn…"

            "Where in Albuquerque?" Duo said in piss-poor Japanese. Despite what he just saw, he grabbed Minako and pulled her behind him. 

"Uh what are you doing?" Minako asked him, questioning his machismo. 

"You're not just going to let these punk-asses walk all over you, are you?" Duo asked incredulously, hoping that muggings weren't a common occurrence she went through everyday. 

"Hadn't planned on it, but you know I can't…" 

"Oh I know. Min, there's only twelve of them come on." 

"So how we gonna split this up?" 

"Well… I'm going to go kick their asses and you're going to cheer me on." 

"Oh no you're not going to make me stand by and watch. Just forget it." 

            "So what's it going to be pretty boy? Do we get a fight or are you going to cower like the little girl you are, and hand over your money?" the one who was clearly the leader bantered breaking up Duo and Minako's argument. 

"Money, hey boss how about he just hand over her?" said a thug in red. 

Duo raised an eyebrow, and whispered to Minako, "You can have him, but give me some room first." Minako nodded and stepped back as Duo walked out into the center of the guys with his hands up in a Y-ish shape. The two opposite him the boss on the left and stripey on the right approached him faster than the rest. As soon as they were with in range, "Why is it everyone thinks I'm a girl?" he said jumping up and kicking stripey in the chest with his right leg, and in the same motion he used his left leg to kick the boss in the face and flip around. Now he stood where those two once were as they roll on the ground. He grabbed two more one from each side and knocked them together, as they hit the ground he could see the red shirt going towards Minako. Before he could jump over the two fallen men, three more came on him. One from the left with a chain, one from the front with a pipe, as he was going to go after pipe-boy, one with a knife grabbed his hair and pulled. 

            As red shirt approached her, Minako smiled and then did a roundhouse to his face. When she landed she had her back to him, so she spun around kicking him in the knees. Then she punched him twice in the nose, and gave a swift kick to the gut, as he was doubling over in pain she chopped his back sending him to the ground. "Humph." 

            Duo staggered back pulling his hair, 'Ow!' he thought. The chain boy hit him a few times, on the third one he said, "Why don't you give this boy a haircut?" On the next swing Duo grabbed the chain and wrapped around his wrist, kicked the knife out of the others hand. As he loosened his grip on Duo's braid, Duo pulled chain boy in and promptly head-butted him.  Then pipe-boy came at him full force and smacked him across the face. Hair-boy had just about recovered his knife as Pipe-boy came at him again. This time Duo grabbed the pipe before it smashed into him again and simultaneously kicked pipe-boy back taking the pipe from him, he the proceeded to beat hair-boy away from the knife. And as soon as he let go of Duo's hair he whipped the pipe around and smacked both Hair-boy and then Pipe-boy in the head, knocking them out. 

            Minako was in a fighting mood now, as Duo was messing with those three she came up behind one of the other four standing and tapped him on the shoulder, when he turned she punched him hard in the nose. He let out a scream as he sunk to his knees. The other next to him turned to see Minako and swung at her with his pipe, she took the nose-boy's chain and used it to defend herself. The thug came as her again, and she ducked grabbing nose-boy's shoulders she swung around with her feet straight out. Passing under the pipe she kicked him and knocked him off to the side. Having dropped his pipe, Minako used the chain and whipped him with it across the face, when it came back covered in blood she dropped it.  Feeling bad she backed away from the fight. 

            Duo now looked at the last two standing he smiled holding the pipe in one hand and tapping it against the other.  They didn't move, instead they gave each other a glance and waited. A chain came over Duo's head and was around his neck; Stripey had woken up. Duo gasped and dropped the pipe; the other two came at him and took turns punching him in the stomach. Minako stood back not really watching anything; she couldn't quite grasp that she had made the man bleed. When she finally looked up she saw the Boss getting up holding a large knife; he was coming at Duo. But Duo couldn't see him and even if he could he was currently being strangled and beaten. Minako snapped out of it and ran for the guys. She jumped using nose-boy as a stool and used that height to take out one of the two beating on Duo. Having knocked him down she was now next to Duo and between him and the boss. Duo took the advantage of her surprise attack to fling Stripey over his back chain and all into the other guy. The Boss man swung at Minako and just as before with the pipe she ducked out of the way. Not connecting with anything Boss stumbled on his momentum. Minako was still bent over and only a few feet from where Boss was standing back up. Duo took this chance to use Minako as a table. "Mina, freeze." He said as he jumped sideways across her back and kicked the boss square across the face with his steel toe. Coming down on the other side of Minako she stood up and as they were facing each other Stripey tried to get up again and they both struck a I'm-going-to-kick-your-ass-if-you-even-dare-pose. As if on cue he passed out again. They both looked at each other and then at the 12 beaten men on the street.

 Minako smiled, "Whoa, that was like less than 3 minutes." 

"Yeah, I know I'm getting slow." 

Minako laughed as she looked back at Duo; "Oh Duo your nose is bleeding." 

Duo put a hand to his face, "It's more my lip than anything." 

"Oh. All right which one hit you?" Duo looked at her with an expression to say which one didn't? Minako smiled again, "Come on let's get that cleaned up." She took Duo by the arm and led him home. 

"Mina I'm fine really," was about all he had said the whole way home. 

"Oh come on Duo, let me take care of you." 

"Mina, really, I've had worse cuts before." By the time they reached her apartment his nose had completely stopped bleeding and his lip was not a big injury in Duo's book. Minako unlocked the door to her apartment; Artemis was waiting again as usual. Minako led Duo to his room as if he had just had the crap beaten out of him. "Mina, please stop. I'm all right." 

"I know, but I just want to help." 

Duo smiled, "You are," and he kissed her. While doing so he winced in pain. 

Minako pulled back, "Duo kissing isn't supposed to hurt." Duo nodded holding his lip. He sat down on the edge of his bed, and Minako went to get a washcloth. When she came back she put it to his lip and gently cleaned his lip and face. Duo kissed her hand pulled it away and then kissed her lips again. Minako kissed him back, but having only known Duo a few days she stopped at this and left the room. 

She went into her room to get dressed for bed; before she could Artemis came in, "What happened?" 

"Nothing we got jumped. Well okay I think we did the jumping though." 

Artemis looked at her, "Huh?" 

"It was a mugging gone awry; we kicked their butts." 

"Mina, you shouldn't be fighting like that." 

"Oh Artemis, you worry too much, if Sailor V can beat up a hundred monsters on her own in England, than I can sure handle a few thugs with Duo." She said walking out of her room. 

"Mina!" watch what you say.

 "OHH! Artemis go take a nap or something!" she said angrily re-entering Duo's room. "Oh he makes me so mad." 

"Your cat?" 

"Yes. He thinks I'm a little frail girl and I can't take care of myself. Sad thing is he's the one who taught me how to fight." Minako said sitting down on Duo's bed. 

"At least he's never beaten the hell out of you." Minako looked at Duo with her head on her knees. Duo moved his legs so that Minako could scoot back and he explained, "The guy who gave me my Gundam, well once I went to free him and the other scientists, and they talked me into letting them beat the crap out of me so they could repair it."  

"Your Gundam?" 

Duo explained what a Gundam was, and told her all bout Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei. How they all met, and how they fought together. He even confessed that really when he went to "free" the scientists he was supposed to kill them and destroy the lunar base. Minako in return told him about the day Artemis gave her her pen, and took her to England. How she met Usagi and the others and how she died, a couple of times. They sat up and talked for hours. Artemis tried to listen in, but with the door shut he couldn't be sure what all was being said. He used Minako's communicator to call Luna to complain that Minako was acting strange and naïve. 

As morning hit the colonies, Relena rolled over to hug Heero, but he was not there. Heero had been up for hours sitting on the windowsill staring out at the front gate. 

"Heero come back to bed." 

Heero didn't respond or move. 

Fed up with the constant moping that had gone on for the past two days, "You know sometimes I think you care more about him than you do me."

That got Heero's attention, "What!" Heero stared at her in disbelief.

"Well you haven't slept ever since you knew he was missing, and Heero sweetie you are clinging on to his coat."

Heero looked down, "Oh." He set the coat down on the edge of the bed as he sat next to Relena. "Relena, you know no one could ever be more important to me than you. If you were missing I wouldn't just be sitting here waiting for your return, I probably would have started a colony wide search, no I could probably get a world wide search going for Queen Relena."

"How many times do I have to tell you, A. I'm not Queen anymore, and B. I'm not going anywhere, I'm happy right where I'm at." Relena hugged Heero. She tried to pull him down on the bed, but he wouldn't give and instead she knocked them both over onto the floor. 

"Ow." Heero laughed

Relena simply smiled and kissed him…

            Morning came and Minako was still not in her bed. Artemis ran to the door to Duo's room but no one came to the door. Artemis the over-worrier that he is decided that this had to stop—he again called Luna. In Duo's room, Minako and he had talked so long last night that when she started falling asleep she was way too tired to make it back to her own room. 

            Usagi opened the door to Duo's room, she saw Minako's yellow boots, and two pair of Duo's shoes neatly placed by the bedside. On the bed Minako and Duo we sound asleep curled up together under a blanket. "Minako," Usagi whispered. "Minako-chan." Duo woke up and could hear Usagi calling Minako, without opening his eyes he poked her side a few times to wake her up. 

"Hmm." Minako said opening her eyes to look at Duo, who still looked asleep. 

"Minako!" She said in a harsh whisper.

 She lifted her head to see a slightly upset Usagi staring at her. "What?" Minako whispered back. 

"What do you think you're doing?" 

"Well I was sleeping until you came barging in here. Hey wait a minute how did you…" 

Usagi raised her keys, "You gave me a copy remember." 

Minako sat up rubbing her eyes, "Usagichan, what are you doing here?" 

"Luna told me that Artemis said you were acting weird and I was supposed to come over here right away." 

"Is that so," Minako said flinging the blanket back as she climbed over Duo and went into the living room to find Artemis. "You selfish little…" 

"Minako!!" Usagi yelled at her, "Artemis is not the one in the wrong here." 

"Oh and just what is that supposed to mean?" she said turning around to face Usagi. 

            Duo winced when he could feel an oncoming fight as Minako left clearly mad at Artemis. When they left he opened his eyes and sighed, "This is not good." Artemis jumped up on Duo's face. "Ahh. Stupid Cat." Duo said flinging Artemis off the bed just seconds before he started clawing his face. "Uh. Artemis. What is your problem?" Artemis came at him again, "Stop it! I didn't do anything here. What the Hell is your problem? Answer me I know you can!" Artemis stopped. "That's right kitty, we need to talk." 

"How did you?" 

"I'm an alien remember I can sense these things. Minako let it slip, how do you think I know?" 

"Well I wasn't putting alien past you." 

"Artemis, I'm not an alien, I'm just a normal boy from After Colony 200." 

"Where are you from?" 

"Planet Earth. I am American. Okay so I live in outer space on L1." 

"Where?" 

"A colony by the moon. I come from the future." 

"And I'm supposed to believe that why?" 

"Uh, because it's the truth." 

Artemis didn't say anything. 

"You know in my history books they never mentioned the Sailor Senshi having annoying talking cats." 

"History books?" 

"Yeah in school we learned about the types of heroes and heroines people used to idolize. Among the best were Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Sailor Senshi. Be proud you made the top five. But where I come from you guys are considered myths, make-believe, comic book characters." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, and just like everyone knows that photojournalist Peter Parker is Spiderman, we all know that Sailor, uh, Mars wears red right? [Artemis nods] is a Shinto priestess named Rei. And Jupiter cooks, and Mercury is a doctor, like I said you're in the history books." 

 Artemis couldn't believe this he'd been wrong about Duo, well mostly. He still didn't like the fact that Minako slept in his bed last night. 

            Minako and Usagi's argument continued in Japanese. Minako would start speaking in English just to make Usagi mad, but that wouldn't work anymore because Usagi had plenty of time to sit around and learn a new language.  And, why not English, after all Mamoru "spent" a year in America.  

            "Minako what were you doing in there? You don't even know him."

            "No you don't know him, and I WAS SLEEPING!!!!!!! Can't you people get it through your heads we weren't doing anything. Haven't you ever just stayed up all night talking to someone?"

            "Yeah that's the greatest thing in the whole world."

            "Well we were talking 'til about two hours ago when I started to fall asleep." 

            "That's not what Artemis said."

            "What Artemis said?! So now my CAT has more credibility than I do? What the hell do YOU think we were doing?" … " I don't believe this…." She repeated to herself as Usagi talked.

            "Minako how am I supposed to know what you were doing? You never talk to me anymore. I used to know every little last detail about your life and now, now strange men are in your house and your sleeping with them." 

            "Usa that just sounded so incredibly wrong. Duo is staying here because it's my fault he's even in Tokyo. And I'm not 'sleeping with him' I'm sleeping next to him. Context Usagi it makes a big difference." 

            "How is it your fault?"

            "Oh I don't know because I pulled him through a rip in time?!"

            "NANI?!" 

            "Never mind that, Usagi for the past two days I've been happy. Truly happy and you come here wake me up and tell me I can't be just because I didn't stop by to let you know what is going on?"

            Usagi stared at her a little in disbelief, a little in guilt, and a little in confusion. 

            "Usa-chan," Minako continued, "I've actually found someone that I'm crazy about, and for the first time in my life he, HE's crazy about me too. Why is that so wrong?" she said sitting on the couch. 

            "It's not Min, but aren't you taking this a little fast?"

            "Okay maybe Artemis thinks I'm taking things fast, but in my book going to a few museums, an amusement park, a ball game, a play, a few restaurants, and dancing is not going too fast. Usagi it's not like I just grabbed him and started making out in a corner somewhere." 

            "You did all of that in two days?"

            "It's called motivation, look it up." Minako said getting up from the couch. "You once said that you just wanted to be a normal teenager, right? Well ever since Artemis found me I have had to give up so much, and then the one time you wished us back to normalcy I was forced to give up all memory of my friends and being a senshi. I had no idea why I wasn't playing volleyball, why I didn't have a boyfriend at the age of 15, why I didn't seem to have any friends in my own school, and to top it off I couldn't even remember the year I spent in London. Usagi when you wished for a normal life, you got it, when I wished for a normal life, I moved. Now I have that quote unquote normal life and you can take it, I don't want it. All I want is to be needed, to have a boyfriend, to…know…what…I want." Minako sank to the table. 

            "Minako I just wanted for you to be happy… And safe, happy and safe." 

            "What lousy timing you have." 

"Minako." Usagi said sitting next to her.

"You know up until this week I used to think I was deformed. Did you know I'm the only girl I know who had never had a boyfriend. And then I finally meet this great guy, and it ends up I had to pull him through the walls of time. I can't find a normal guy, no that just doesn't seem to be my destiny."

Usagi laughs a little, "Minako other than being from another time, in what way isn't he normal?"

            "He likes me."

            "Minako. You shouldn't say such things, lots of guys like you."

            "No, no they don't."

            By this time Duo and Artemis were standing in the doorway. Duo slowly regaining his understanding of Japanese, was mostly following the argument.

            "That's not the Minako I know. What's wrong?"

            "Everything. I'm not normal, I don't want to be normal, and yet I do. I'm just so completely lost and confused."

            "Minako-chan, everything will work out, you'll see. Just be patient and keep your head."

            "What? What the hell is that supposed to mean? You have got to stop hanging out with that crazy caped husband of yours. Things will work out, when? Be patient, I have. And Keep my head; in what way have I lost it? Oh just because I didn't spend a millennium chasing after the same guy doesn't mean I don't know how it feels to love someone."

            "Minako I never said that."

            "You know if you hadn't come over here this morning, I would still be asleep dreaming nice, happy, soothing dreams. But no I can't even do that!!! 'Oh Minako I don't even know you any more.' Well if you'd stop looking down your nose at me maybe you would!"

            "Mina!" Artemis said from Duo's arms.

            "And you. Oh you started all of this… I oughta…"

            "Mina calm down." Duo said walking over to her. "Artie, was just a little overprotective." She let him hug her and buried her head in his chest.

            "More like jealous." Usagi butted in, in English. 

Duo looked at Usagi. He wanted to tell her to leave, but it wasn't his place to say anything. 

"No I mean it. That stupid cat called my stupid cat because Minako didn't return to their bed last night. And then I get this whole Minako's in trouble kinda sob story and I rush right over here being told that not only don't I know my best friend but now she's a cheep floozy whore."  Usagi said.

"Oh now I think you'd better leave."  Duo began.

"Oh and what are you going to do baka?" Usagi said frustrated

"I'm going to throw your royal ass out the window and see if you can transform fast enough to sprout your Eternal Wings. And then, then I'm going to watch to see if you can save your own life or if you magically land on a big pile of rose petals." 

"How dare you." 

"No how dare you, I can't believe you come barging in here uninvited, and in best friend capacity try to tell her that she's ruining her life all because she spent the night in my bed. Oh no not that. Please if you're such the best friend then why is it you don't know that Mina has been progressively depressed for the past 8 months?" 

"Oh and just how would you know that?" 

"Because I listened to her. I heard what she said, and it just so happens not only can I sympathize I can empathize." Minako cried into Duo's shirt not at all wanting to stop him from verbally bashing Usagi. 

"Well…I can…" Usagi began trying not to cry. 

"Usagi maybe you should leave?" Artemis said softly. 

"You called me over here." 

"I know but this has all gone terribly wrong." 

Usagi nodded, "If you want to get out of here let me know." And she left rather upset.

            Duo sighed and hung his head, placing it on top of Minako's. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that. She was trying to help, I think." 

Minako laughed slightly, "No, you said exactly what I was thinking." 

"But Mina, I think I was a bit harsh." 

"Yes, yes quite harsh, but…" Duo waited for her to continue. "…I love you for standing up for me." 

"You what? Can you repeat that?" 

"Which part? Where I was agreeing that you were totally rude to my friend." 

"After that." 

"Oh you mean when I said that I loved you." 

"That would be the part." 

Minako hugged Duo tight and continued to cry into his chest, "Well I do, you've been just perfect to me, and I'm going to miss you so much when you go home." 

"Go home?" 

"I contacted Setsuna, she said that she could send you home tonight." 

"Tonight, Mina. That's… That's so soon." 

Author's Notes: I don't really know why it has taken me so long to post this. Please forgive the hectic life of a grad student. 

The entire rest of this story has been on my hard drive for years. It's just the actual deciding where to divide it up, transferring it to html format and then of course picking out the song lyric for each chapter. Not to mention attempting to write author notes years after I'd written it. 

This chapter seems like one big dialogue. Well a fight scene and a big dialogue, anyway.  

This "initial chapter" of the Duo & Minako romance must come to a close fairly soon. It's sad; I know… but time distortions can't be left alone for too long, especially when he keeps talking about the future. So tune in next time hopefully not too far in the future for the conclusion of Duo's trip to 2000AD. 

----------------------------

A small glimpse:

"Are you ready?" 

"Hai." Minako said softly. Duo scooped her up off the couch and put her feet on the floor. As they walked out the door, "Duo, what'd you do to my hair." 

"I braided it." 

Minako was silent.


	4. Route Venus

Disclaimer: _Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon_ is a really great manga by Naoko Takeuchi. _Kidou Senshi Gundam W_ (aka _Mobile Suit Gundam Wing_) is my all time favorite anime created by mecha-geniuses Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino.  If I had the ability to draw like Naoko or the money to hire people to make my visions come true maybe I'd be reading someone else's fanfiction of my work…but as it is I must rely on others' work to write fanfictions about. 

****

****

****

**_a destiny equal to the gods_**
    
    _No one knows the future_
    
    _There aren't supposed to be things such as promises_
    
    _Sharp like a knife_
    
    _I'd like to be myself_
    
    _In their dreams_
    
    _People dance in the distant sky_
    
    _Reaching anywhere_

Going beyond eternity 

--Duo Maxwell

"Wild Wing"

Route Venus 

Minako hugged Duo tight and continued to cry into his chest, "Well I do, you've been just perfect to me, and I'm going to miss you so much when you go home." 

"Go home?" 

"I contacted Setsuna, she said that she could send you home tonight." 

"Tonight, Mina. That's… That's so soon." 

"I know, but we can't mess with Setsuna, when she says now she means now."  

Duo nodded and knowing that Minako must be right he decided that he would not whine about it, instead he would try to enjoy the last day they had. "Well then, let's get out of here shall we?" 

"Where do you want to go?" 

"You'll see." 

Minako smiled. "Duo that's my line." 

"Not today." 

Minako was trying not to be sad for Duo, but no matter how she tried she couldn't get it all out of her system.

            Duo scooped Minako up and carried her back into her bedroom. He set her down on the bed and then he slowly walked over to the closet and began going through her entire wardrobe. After ten minutes of searching he found the perfect outfit for where they were going. He folded it up and walked over to her dresser where he grabbed her red bow and everything else that she'd need. He then carried a sobbing Minako to the bathroom with all the stuff.  "Here you go," he knelt down to look into her face. Putting a hand to her tear he said, "Mina. It's so all right. Maybe too right. A goddess smiles. Come to light." Minako did smile, and Duo wiped away her tears, "Mina, take a shower, you'll feel better. Then I'll take you someplace relaxing. Okay?" Minako nodded. Duo left the bathroom shutting the door, and Minako smiled, shook her head and then proceeded with the shower process. 

Duo then went to the phonebook and attempted to read it. "Oh. Reading Japanese is harder than it looks," he said to Artemis. 

Artemis shook his head and jumped up on the table, "What are you looking for?" 

Duo told Artemis his plans, and Artemis helped him find everything he needed.

            When Minako was done showering she came out dressed in a pale yellow dress that flared at the waist and fell just below her knees. Over that she was wearing an Orange cardigan and a bright green towel in her hair. Walking out of the bathroom drying her hair with her hands she stopped and watched Duo as he packed a basket full of stuff while singing, _It's So All Right._ She really didn't want to interrupt but she asked, "So do I get shoes too?" 

Duo smiled, "Nah, you won't need them." 

Minako cocked her head and looked at him through a mop of wet hair. 

Duo laughed and walked over to her hairbrush in hand. "Here let me help." He sat Minako down on the back of the couch and began to brush her hair gently, "I was just kidding about the shoes; they're in your room." Minako didn't say anything she just sat back as Duo brushed her hair and Duo sang his song for her one more time before letting silence take over the room. After about an hour of this Duo had almost brushed all the wetness out of her hair. Realizing Minako was zoned out in her own little brush-hair-good-world Duo separated her hair into three equal parts and began to braid it. When he got to the end he tied it off with her red bow. Duo then got her shoes and walked around the couch to face Minako. Placing them on her feet he looked at her and said, "Are you ready?" 

"Hai." Minako said softly. Duo scooped her up off the couch and put her feet on the floor. Duo grabbed a basket off the counter. As they walked out the door, "Duo what'd you do to my hair." 

"I braided it." 

Minako was silent. 

"Relax I brought your brush, I can change it later."

            First Duo took Minako out for a light breakfast. Then Duo took Minako down through the park to the lake where they rent out rowboats. Duo had called ahead and they had a boat waiting for them. Out on the lake Duo rowed while Minako leaned up against him. Duo rowed them out towards the middle and then to the other side by a lovely cherry tree he then slowed and stopped the boat and just let it coast Duo reached into the basket and pulled out Minako's book. He removed the bookmark and began to read to her from where she had fallen asleep under the tree. 

            After a while of reading, Duo paused having just ended a chapter and looked to see if Minako was still awake. When he saw her staring back up at him he asked, "Would you like me to continue?" Minako didn't respond. "Mina?" 

"I'm thinking. I'd love for you to continue, but I can think of a few more things to do too." She smiled. 

Duo shook his head and smiled back, "Oh is that so?" He put the book down and asked Minako, "What were you and Usagi fighting about?" 

Minako thought a minute, "Absolutely nothing. It was just an argument about nothing." 

"One of those empty best-friend kind of arguments?" 

"Sorta, except we did hit on the fact that we haven't really talked in forever. That was important, but everything just kept getting twisted around and we never really got to fix that." 

"Mina nothing ever gets fixed in one argument, just like one battle will not fix everything a war wants to accomplish. It's going to take some time, more arguments but hopefully just a lot of talks. If you're lucky there won't be any punches thrown." 

"Punches? Duo girls don't throw punches, we scratch, pull hair, and throw things, and well if you just happen to have secret powers sometimes we end up blowing things up." 

"Oh now you sound like me and Heero, we argue and things get demolished." 

"Duo, tell me something." Minako said changing the subject

"Like what?" 

"Something no one else knows." 

Duo tries to think of something that no one else knows that would be worthy of telling Minako. 

"Duo?" 

"I'm thinking." 

"Well I don't care what. Tell me about your parents."

 "My parents. Oh well there's a good story."  

Minako waited for him to continue. 

"Well at least I hope it was a good story. Mina you probably know more about my parents than I do." 

"Duo," Minako said carefully turning half way to face him, "are you an orphan?" 

"My whole life." 

"Okay, but I can't see you living in and orphanage what…. What happened?" 

"Well what I do know is they both died because of the war, like many people did in my town. There were dozens of orphaned kids. A little neighbor girl had picked me up and treated me like a little brother, when I was about 4 she was gunned down trying to get us food and again I was alone. I joined a group of poorly organized orphans, when I was 6 or 7 we met Solo, he too was an orphan He adopted us into his gang and he taught us to fend for ourselves. Solo became my best friend.  One day an epidemic hit our colony. There was plenty of medicine and vaccines but they weren't giving any to the war orphans. When Solo got sick and they still would not give us any, I went and stole medicine for all the orphans. I tried giving some to Solo but it was too late he was dying. He told me that he had given himself the name Solo because he would always be alone. That's when I said, 'well then I'll be Duo and the two of us will always be together.'  Shortly after that Solo died in my arms. I went to see the others and they each got their vaccine and none of them got sick. It ended up I was one short though so I decided that I would go without then prayed that death would come to me so I could join my friend. Needless to say it didn't, I never got sick and to this day I believe it's because Solo was watching over me." 

Minako was crying. "Oh Duo that's so…" she began turning back to face the front, leaning back against Duo she continued, "…say how'd you come up with the last name Maxwell?" 

"Ah, Maxwell. Well after Solo's death I became the leader of our little gang. One morning when I was stealing food from the market I ran into a priest, and the vendor came up to grab me while I was fallen. I jumped over the father and he stopped the man from following me. Well then I had a _brilliant_ idea, instead of stealing food from the vendors we should steal it from the base. I convinced them that this was the best thing we could do to fight back. So me and 3 others went into the base and the second we got there they opened fire; we made it into the base but we never made it to the food and we didn't escape either. The only reason we weren't executed on the spot was because that priest had a soft spot for us and took us all in. His name was Fr. Maxwell." 

Minako smiled, "So that's where you got those clothes." 

Duo smiled, "Oh I hated them, they were so uncomfortable, but at least I always had clothes." 

Minako looked at him, "And?" 

"And what?" 

"Oh know you don't, there's more to this story." 

"Okay fine. Then there was Sister Helen who wanted to cut my hair. Oh I threw such a fit. It wasn't until Fr. Maxwell came in and told her to do as I wished. So she put the scissors down and separated it into three parts and braided it. I was such a punk, I jumped up and said, 'This is great now when I steal things, it won't get in the way!!'" Duo shook his head. 

Minako laughed, "Alright my little thief then what happened." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You were raised by a priest and nuns. How did you ever get involved with the, oh what did you call them, Gundams?" 

"I broke into the base." Duo said putting his arms around her from behind, "It's a long sad story Mina, I don't really want to go back there." 

"Alright I won't push," Minako said snuggling into his arms, "So tell me something happy." 

Duo half choked-half laughed, "Something happy." 

"Yeah tell me the happiest thing you remember." 

Duo stopped laughing and solemnly said, "Mina, I just did."  

_'Oh'_ Minako thought, "Well fine, then tell me something terribly sad and completely depressing." 

Duo laughed slightly, and hugged Minako tighter placing his head next to hers. He swayed her back and forth a second, kissing her on the cheek he said, "You know, I absolutely love you." 

Minako smiled and sighed, "I know."  They continued drifting like this in silence. 

            After a while Duo decided to change the tone a bit so he opened the basket and took out her hairbrush. He slowly brushed the braid out of her hair; Minako's hair fell with cute waves to it. And Duo just carefully brushed her hair for the remainder of the boat ride. "I never want this to end," Minako said wistfully. 

"Which the drifting peacefully on the water or me brushing your hair?" 

"You… me… together." 

"I know exactly how you feel." Minako leaned back and fell into Duo's lap looking straight up and him she smiled. Duo leaned over and kissed her. First on the forehead, then on the nose, and ended on her lips. This was a bit awkward, but if Minako were to try to turn to face him she would end up capsizing the boat. After their upside down make out session Duo rebraided Minako's hair and rowed the boat to shore. 

"Where are we off to now?" Duo smiled and just took Minako by the hand helped her out of the boat and took her and the basket to a secluded part of the forest of cherry. From the basket he withdrew a blue blanket and laid it out under a tree. He then gestured for Minako to sit on it. Then he removed an assortment of food from the basket, some he had made, the rest he had ordered from nearby places that delivered quickly. Minako blushed a little as Duo sat down beside her, "Bon Appetite." 

After Lunch Minako and Duo lay on the blanket and watched the clouds roll past. Minako with her head on Duo's chest fell asleep smiling. Duo smiled to himself and playing with her hair he began singing softly, "Every time our eyes meet this feeling inside me is almost more than I can take. Baby, when you touch me I can feel how much you love me and it just blows me away. I've never been this close to anyone or anything. I can hear your thoughts; I can see your dreams. I don't know how you do what you do. I'm so in love with you it just keeps getting better, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you by my side forever and ever. Every little thing that you do Baby I'm amazed by you. The smell of your skin, the taste of your kiss, the way you whisper in the dark. Your hair all around me, baby, you surround me, touch every place in my heart. Though it feels like the first time, every time, I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes. I don't know how you do what you do. I'm so in love with you, it just keep getting better, I wanna spend the rest of my life with you by my side forever and ever. Every little thing that you do baby I'm amazed by you…" 

In the manor, Heero is staring out his bedroom window. Relena comes up behind him and puts her arms around his waist and her head on his shoulders, "I'm actually starting to miss his jokes." 

"You know he only says stupid things like that because he doesn't want us to be sad." 

"I know.  Heero, I have a confession to make. I was actually starting to wish that Duo would leave." 

"Relena," Heero turned to face her. 

"Well okay after that whole Hilde thing I felt bad for him and we gave him a room." 

"More like a wing." 

"Yeah, well for the past year he hasn't gone out, unless he's going to shoot hoops. He spends half the day walking around in his pajamas eating cereal, and he doesn't do anything on his own unless you tell him to." 

"Oh that's just not true. He stopped listening to me… no he's never listened to me. He often leaves on his own just to come back completely out of it and pass out on your couch. And just to set the record straight he eats a hell of a lot more than cereal." 

"Okay I don't want to hear about Duo vomiting on my couch," she said walking to the window. 

"No Duo doesn't throw up." 

She turned and sat on the sill.  "Why do you always stand up for him?"  

"He's not here." 

"So when you argue do you stand up for me?" 

"We don't" Heero said thoughtfully 

"Oh that's a lie I've seen you argue, okay well fight." 

Heero walked over to her, "Never about you."  

"Really," she said matter-of-factly. 

Sliding his arms around her waist, "No he knows I'd kill him if he ever said anything bad about you." Before she could protest again he ended this argument by kissing her.

In a clouded "forest" Duo is kissing Minako against a tree. "It's almost time Minako," came a voice from behind Duo. Minako waved over Duo's shoulder. Setsuna shook her head and turned back fumbling with her keys. "Minako come give me a hand will you." Minako finally pried herself away from Duo, smiling she walked over to Setsuna. "Here hold these," Setsuna flung them at Minako who caught all but one. Minako picked it up, she looked at the latch, but she couldn't figure out how the key came off. Trying to put it back on Minako panicked when Setsuna called her over to the portal. She didn't know what to do so she shoved the key in her sweater pocket. Minako ran over to Setsuna who had grabbed Duo and was asking him exactly how he came to be in Minako's time. Duo explained as best he could, and Setsuna kinda nodded her head saying, "Hmm."  "Interesting." Duo wondered if she was even really listening, but decided to just continue telling the story anyway. 

"So you know how to get him back to A.C. 200 right?" Minako said stopping this

"Oh absolutely, since our calendars match up, it was the fall solstice in both years, so I'm going to send you back today, so it'll seem like you've been gone for 3 days." 

Duo nodded, "Okay." 

Setsuna said, "Now, it works better if you open the door, because you know exactly where you want it to open. So I just need you to take hold of a key and think wholeheartedly of where you want to be." 

"Uh, that could be a problem." 

"Why's that." 

"I don't want to leave." 

"Oh Duo, you have to, you don't belong here. You could severely alter the future just by being here." 

"I know, but that doesn't mean, I want to go back just yet." Duo put a hand on Minako's cheek and she blushed. She wrapped her hand around his and then kissed his palm and began to sing, 

"Open that door 

Our time remaining starts ticking 

Open your eyes take a good look 

Give me your last kiss and walk away"

By this time they didn't even notice if Setsuna was there. Duo kissed her as if he'd never see her again. Then Minako continued to sing what came to her heart. 

            "The Truth is my heart screams stop

Till it tears the strongest wind to shreds

But the road splits here 

Our fate, the stars decide

The white road you chose 

Your future ahead 

Keep walking"

Duo wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace…

            "The ocean rises 

            Winds gust

            It's a little cold 

            But run

            I will never forget

I love you so much

It pains me

But I'll stay right here

And stare at the desert dawn"

With that Minako placed Duo's hand on the keys, and kissed him ever so slightly on the lips

            "Open that window and your time starts ticking."

The time portal opened behind them

            "Remember the last kiss I wanted with your eyes open that night."

Duo kissed her again, and for the last time.

            "The truth is my heart is crying

            Till the sky above drains itself

            But the road splits here.

            Our fate, the stars decide"

And she let go of his hand

            "The Blue road I chose 

            My future before me 

            I will not forget" 

Duo started to take a step back his other hand still on the keys and Minako's 

            "The morning dawns

            People start moving 

            It's a little frightening

            But walk away."

Duo nodded and released his grip on her, with a tear rolling down his cheek he walked in to the portal

            "Don't forget me

            I love you so much it pains me

            But I'll stay right here and stare at the desert dawn."

With these final words she saw Duo smile, and the portal closed behind him. Minako sank to the ground dropping the keys and cried. Setsuna knelt down, picked up the keys, placed an arm around Minako's shoulder and let her cry. 

"It's all right Minako." 

Minako slowly smiled and got up saying out loud, "It's so all right, maybe too right, a goddess smiles, come to light." 

Setsuna didn't ask, she simply took Minako to her apartment and told her to get some sleep. Minako did return to her room. She sat at the head of her bed, and hugging her pillow with her knees she simply stared blankly out the window at the stars. Artemis came in and sat at her feet, not saying a word.

            Duo walked out of the portal, he was just outside the front gate of the manor. He looked back, only to see that it was already gone. "Our fate the stars decide…" Duo headed inside. He walked right past Heero and mindlessly headed to his room.  

"Hey Duo, where have you been?" Heero followed him. 

Duo flopped on his bed as if exhausted, and replied, "playing basketball." Then he turned away from the door, but he didn't close his eyes, he just stared blankly at the wall. When Heero left realizing Duo wasn't going to talk tonight, Duo rolled back over and continued to stare at the floor emotionless.

----------------------------------------------

Author's Notes:

First I want to mention that the lyrics to the song Duo sings to under the tree come from _'Amazed'_ By Lonestar.    Why it is that Duo knows 21st Century country songs… I don't know.  Perhaps it was just coincidental that this song and the words in Duo's heart were the same… or perhaps…the sappy love songs of today play on the oldies station in the After Colony years. 

The song Minako sang was 'Route Venus' one of the Minako Image Songs… This translation I took from my "Scout Guide." All the songs that have been at the beginning of each segment have been Image Songs too. 

The story of Duo's past I got from reading his Episode Zero. 

The title for this fic 'a destiny equal to the gods' came from somewhere in my English Lit book… I could go and find it but that might take days… and well I want to post this post haste. Anyway, the meaning behind having a destiny equal to the gods is that no matter what the gods did they could never find true happiness… and if they did destiny would come along and take it away. And that seems to sum up the majority of my Mina/Duo fic. 

You all asked for a Christmas Present… Well how about a Yule present….I can't wait for Christmas Day.  Happy Holidays. Thanks for the reviews. I love feedback. 

This is the end of the first chapter of my rather lengthy Minako and Duo story. Mind you this one chapter was way too long to post as one so… I broke it down into four parts. But by no means in the story over.  You will have to wait for the "second chapter" though because I'm in the process of altering it.  And well editing it for its fanfiction.net debut…either that or I'll have to up the rating. Hmm…I'll have to think about that. 

Well anyway. Clearly I think the next Chapter will have to be Romance/Angst… but then again… who knows where I've taken them.  Let me know what you think of this one. And whether or not I should continue posting the following chapters as part of 'a destiny equal to the gods' or if I should post them separately? 

Thanks a bunch,

Mina Maxwell


	5. Synchronized Dreams

Disclaimer: Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino are the geniuses behind Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi  My creative talent lies elsewhere…and until it takes off and I can afford a lawsuit… don't sue me for this creative union of other's works. 

Author's Note: This is the beginning of the second chapter of my 'Gundam Moon' story entitled "A Newfound Usefulness" Please keep in mind that the characters have aged and/or mellowed under the influence of others. This is how I envisioned them behaving at the age of 20/21 after a few years of peace. And so the story continues:

**_a destiny equal to the gods_**

****

"Forget about yesterday 

_when all you could do was hug your knees and sigh_

_Believe in yourself!"_

_"Maybe it'll turn out fine, yeah, _

_I'm sure it'll turn out fine…_

_For the dream that never ends."_

****

—Duo Maxwell

     "Kitto OK!"

Synchronized Dreams 

            It was 6 am on Monday morning Minako was wide-awake. It had been a whole day since she said goodbye to Duo. She was still wearing the dress he had picked out for her. Minako had headed straight to her room when Setsuna dropped her off, and she hadn't moved at all that night, the following day, or last night. Artemis was beginning to worry about her. She hasn't slept, she hasn't eaten, in the past two days all she has done is stare out the window clutching her pillow and hugging her knees. 

            "Mina?" Artemis asked gently. He rubbed her leg with his head but still she did not answer. "Mina are you all right?" Minako blinked but continued to stare out the window. "It isn't healthy to go this long without sleeping or eating, Minako can you even hear me?" Artemis said concerned. Minako didn't waver from her view, but she did extend her left hand to rub Artemis' head. Artemis could tell she was listening, but she just didn't care. This went on for the rest of the day.

            "Duo? Are you alive?" Relena opened the door to his room. Duo was laying on his bed with his left hand draped over the edge touching the floor, his head rests at the edge just staring downwards. Duo hadn't moved in the past two days either. "Duo." Relena walked in and sat at the edge of the bed. She forced him to scoot over half a foot, and brought his arm up to the bed. "Duo, are you all right?" He didn't respond so she continued. "Have you slept at all?" "This isn't like you Duo, what happened while you were gone? Where did you go?" Duo blinked and looked at her without moving his head, blinking a few more times he let his gaze drift back to the floor. "Oh, Duo. I wish you'd just talk to someone, anyone." She said wiping the hair out of his eyes. When Duo didn't respond, she sat and waited for ten minutes before getting up to leave. 

            "Heero, I don't like this. Something must have happened to him." Relena said entering the kitchen.

            "Don't.  He'll be all right." Heero jumped off the counter and went to Duo's room. He didn't say anything he just walked in and sat down in the chair at Duo's desk. Duo continued to stare out at the floor, and Heero waited patiently. After about ten minutes of silence, he said, "So you gonna tell me about her?" Duo blinked and shifted his gaze towards Heero, he sighed but did not say anything. They continued to sit in silence. 

            Tuesday came and went, neither Minako nor Duo moved. Neither of them talked. Artemis hadn't left Minako's side other than to eat and take care of himself. Heero hadn't moved from Duo's chair not even when Relena called them to dinner.  

When Wednesday rolled around Artemis got even more worried about Minako so he dragged out her communicator and called Luna. Luna answered, but she said Usagi wasn't talking to Minako. Artemis tried to explain that Minako wasn't talking in general. Luna was sick of listening to Usagi rant about how horrible she was treated when she went to Minako's and instead of listening to Artemis she ranted about Usagi. Artemis gave up and tried to call Ami, Mako, or, Rei. All of their communicators beeped, but none of them answered. Ami's was in the bottom of her desk drawer, she hadn't used in months and she stopped carrying it around. Mako's was in her bag buried under recipes and cookbooks; she didn't hear it go off as she was running her restaurant. Rei's was sitting out on her nightstand, but she was not around to answer it. She was on her way over to Usagi's. Mamoru had called and asked Rei to come take Usagi out so Chibi-Usa could get some rest. Artemis realized it was hopeless, unless he could figure out how to contact them all on the phone he was never going to get any help. 

Wednesday afternoon Duo still hadn't talked and Heero hadn't pushed any harder. Heero sat in the chair, watching Duo stare off into space. He marveled at the fact that Duo had never been so quiet for so long, but now even he was starting to get worried. "Mina, her name's Mina." 

Heero blinked he wasn't sure he actually heard Duo talk or if he was staring to hallucinate. "So where's she from?" 

"Tokyo." 

Heero looked a little confused, "Tokyo's a crater." 

"I know." 

"So where did you meet her?" 

"In a gym, in Tokyo, in the past. She punched me." 

Heero laughed a little, "Love at first sight." 

"Well no not really, I was scared of her at first, she was speaking Japanese." 

"Duo, I speak Japanese all the time." 

"Yeah, but when you talk I hear English." 

"Okay that's only been in effect for the past, what, 3 years, don't tell me you forgot a whole language already." 

"No, I just wasn't expecting to hear her say, 'I'm sorry about your jaw' in a foreign language." Duo sat up slowly to face Heero. Less than halfway up he started to get dizzy, and almost fell out of the bed. If it hadn't been for Heero catching him he would have hit his head on the floor. 

"Duo, when's the last time you ate?" 

"hmm.. what day is it?" 

"Wednesday. You came back Saturday night." 

"Uh last time I ate… uh…lunch in the park Saturday?" 

"Duo, you should eat." 

Duo nodded, and Heero helped him get up and practically carried him to lunch. 

            "Are you all right Duo," Relena asked as Heero sat him down at the table. 

            Duo nodded and stared at his plate.

            As lunch went on Duo picked up his fork, but none of the food ever made it to his mouth, he just played with it mindlessly.

            "Duo are you going to eat?" Heero asked concerned

            "Huh?" Duo looked up. "I'm not really hungry." 

            "Could you at least try and drink something?" Relena pleaded.

            Duo looked at her, and reached for his glass, he didn't have the energy to get it to his mouth. Frustrated he gave up and tried to leave the table, but as he stood he fell over backwards. Both Relena and Heero ran to catch him. Duo had passed out from exhaustion so they carried him back to his bed. 

            "Well at least he's trying." Heero said putting his head on the pillow. 

            "Next time I'll remember straws." Relena said as she tucked his feet under the blanket and pulled it up to his chest. 

            "Come. Let him rest."

            "At least he's finally doing that." They returned to the dinning room.

            Minako couldn't keep herself sitting up anymore she had fallen over on her side. Artemis was pacing back and forth on the floor trying to think of something he could do. He ran to the kitchen to try and bring her something to drink at least. If he could just get the refrigerator to open Artemis was pulling with all his strength when a knock came at the front door.   

            "Minako? Minako are you home?" Rei turned the knob the door was unlocked. She peered in to see Artemis tugging at the refrigerator door. "Artemis? What did she leave you here alone?" 

            Artemis stopped tugging at the door only to reply, "No I'm trying to get her water bottle but I can't get this stupid thing to open."

            Rei laughed, "Oh here let me." She opened the door and took Minako's bottle from the shelf. "Where is she?" Rei said realizing she hadn't heard anyone else since she came in.

            "In her room, but Rei it's not…" before he could finish Rei ran into Minako's room to find her collapsed on her bed. Minako's eyes we still fixed on the window, and at first Rei thought she was dead.

            "MINAKO!"    "Minako, wake up!" Rei ran to her side shaking her. 

            Minako jumped and blinked. She stared at Rei but she didn't say a word. 

            "Minako what happened to you? Did he hurt you? Where is he, I'll kick…"

            "Rei." 

            "Oh Minako." She hugged her, "I'm sorry I didn't stop by sooner."

            "Rei?"           "Air?"

            "Oh." Rei let go of her grip only to watch Minako fall to the bed. "Minako what happened?"

            Minako sighed.

            "Duo, Duo Maxwell is what happened." Artemis jumped up on the bed. "He stole her heart, and when Setsuna sent him home, it went with him. Minako hasn't moved, talked, slept, or eaten since." 

            "Wait I'm confused. Who's Duo, why did _SETSUNA_ send him home, Minako don't tell me your doing this to yourself all because of some guy."

            "Rei-chan. I miss him."

            "Minako there are hundreds of millions of men out there to pick from."

            "But I love Duo."

            Rei thought a minute, "So go find him." 

            "How?" Minako said trying to sit up.

            "Well first I think you need to eat, and get your energy back. You look worse than you did when Hotaru's dad stole your heart crystal."

            Minako tried to laugh. 

            Duo woke up with at start. When he opened his eyes Minako was sitting on his legs, smiling. She was wearing a short black nightgown. Duo blinked, "Mina?" She smiled and giggled. He moved forward to hug her, but she disappeared. Duo almost fell over when she wasn't there. 

As he sat back up he saw that she was now sitting on his desk wearing a long flowy black strapless dress. "Duuuooo" she whispered. "Duo why did you leave me," came another voice from the corner. He turned to see her standing in the doorway to his closet much the same way she had the other day, only this time her dress was black with little orange flowers on it, her shrug was orange, and her boots were shiney black plastic. Duo blinked, "I had to." 

"But why Duo," asked the one sitting on his bed. She had come back only to torment him more. 

"You told me I had to," he said to the one at his feet. "You told me to be strong and walk away," he said a little louder to the one at his desk. "You gave me the damn key, didn't you," he yelled at the one in the closet. 

In unison they replied, "It was a test to see if you loved me, and you failed." 

Duo grabbed his head; it was throbbing with pain and confusion. He leaned forward screaming, "No, it's not true, I do love you. It's not true." Minako put her hand on his shoulder, she was sitting next to him now as if she'd woken up there. This Minako was wearing one of Duo's black shirts and nothing else. "It's okay sweetie. They're just being mean. I know you love me, I do." Duo was breathing hard now; she pulled him towards her to comfort him. Duo hit his head on the wall. Minako wasn't there. He opened his eyes again and they were all gone. Trying to catch his breath he repeated, "it's okay, Duo. Get a hold of yourself." 

            Someone entered the room, "Duo are you okay?"

            Duo looked up it was Minako again, her hair was pulled back in a braid, and she was wearing the same yellow dress and orange sweater he had picked out for her.

            "I thought I heard you screaming." She said as she walked to the side of the bed.

            Duo hugged her around the waist, when she didn't disappear he twisted her hips and pulled her onto the bed. She was sitting in his lap. Duo smiled, "Oh thank god you're here, it was so horrible I thought you hated me," he said moving in to kiss her. 

            She put a hand to his face, "Duo. Are you okay?" 

            Duo blinked, it was Heero. Duo collapsed still hugging his friend. "No I can't get her out of my head." He said into Heero's chest.

            "That's uh… sad." Heero couldn't think of the right words, he put a hand on Duo's head and rubbed his hair, as if he were a little kid. "It's okay Duo. There. There." 

            "Heero."

            "Yeah?"

            "You really suck at this."

            "I know."  A thoughtful pause, "At least you're not still trying to kiss me." 

            "Sorry," he apologized "I thought you were Mina."

            "I figured." 

            "What's going on in here?" Relena asked from the doorway. She had a tray of food for Duo.     Duo sat up fast hitting Heero in the chin with his head.  Relena laughed as Heero glared at him. "Here I brought you some soup." She said as she walked over to the bed. 

            Duo rubbed the back of his head. "This is so surreal. I just tried to kiss your fiancé and you're bringing me soup." 

            Heero looked at him shaking his head. "You need help."

            "Would you get off of me?"

            "Oh but Duo, isn't this what you wanted?" Heero teased.

            "You're a jerk." Duo said pushing him.

            Heero stood up and Relena put the tray on Duo's lap. Duo stared at the bowl. Relena had brought him tomato soup and something in a covered glass with a straw. "Do you need us to feed you?" Heero asked as serious as he could.

            Duo rolled his eyes upwards from his food and looked at Heero, "Shut up." 

            Heero raised his hands and backed away. As he and Relena were leaving, Duo said softly. "Heero will you feed me?" 

Relena stopped trying not to laugh out loud. Heero turned around and walked back to the bed. He pulled the chair from the desk and sat down with Duo. Without saying a word, Heero began to spoon feed his more than helpless best friend. Relena smiled and just before she turned to walk out of the room, there was a flash behind her. She turned to see Pagan holding a camera. The old man smiled and she shoved him out of the room again trying not to laugh. Heero and Duo both simply ignored them and continued with the whole feeding process.   

            Rei had made Minako three Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam sandwiches. She cut them in triangles and set them on a plate in front of Minako. Minako was staring at them blankly. "What's wrong, didn't I make them just how you like them?" 

            "I can't eat them, they look like Duo."

            Rei walked over to her, eyeing the plate, "Where in the world do you get that out of 6 triangles?" 

            Minako sighed and blinked, "They just do."

            "Oh Minako, would you just eat?" Rei said her worry being replaced by frustration. "If you don't I'm going to shove them one by one down your throat."

            "All right fine." She said still staring at them.

            Rei picked one of them up put it to Minako's mouth and said, "Open." And when Minako did she pushed the corner of the sandwich in, and said, "Bite. Good, now chew." Minako did as she was told, only to laugh at Rei and take the sandwich away before she could do it again.

            Feeding herself now Minako asked, "Okay so how do I find him?"

            "Where is he exactly?"

            "On Colony L1, in the big manor that Relena and Heero own, in the year After Colony 200." 

            "Uh-huh." Rei contemplated "So future?"

            "Yeah. Like 300 years in the future."

            "Well to time travel you need to steal a time key from Setsuna."

            "Time key. Rei you're a genius!" Minako ran into her room. 

            "Uh, Mina I was sorta kidding, you can't just take one of Setsuna's keys." She got up following her.

            "Oh where is it?"

            "What?"

            "My orange sweater I was wearing it when we sent Duo home."

            "That wouldn't by any chance be the same orange sweater you're wearing now, would it?"

            "Doh." Mina said slapping her forehead. "I forgot. I haven't changed since Saturday."

            "That's really gross Minako. Maybe you should take a shower, and change before you go off looking for him."

            "Really? You think so?"

            "So how many were there?"

            "Uh, not including you…four.  I think there were four."

            "Duo, you need to get some sleep."

            "But that's what started it, I had a bad dream and I woke up to find her sitting on my legs. But then she wasn't there she was on the desk and then at the closet and then back at my feet and all the while she was scolding me. Then there was another one who was nice, but still not real. That's when I hit my head and then you came in." 

            "Well okay maybe sleeping is just a little too big of a request. How about you get up and take a shower. Duo you're starting to smell. Besides it might do some good to help clear your head."

            "Okay. I think I can do that."  

Heero took the tray off Duo's lap and put his feet on the floor for him. "You're on your own from here." Duo nodded and Heero left the room.

Duo slowly stood up, the room was spinning but he managed to make it over to the dresser. Duo looked at himself in the mirror, "I look like shit." He tried to take his layers of shirts off over his head but he hadn't quite regained enough balance for that. Clinging on to the dresser to stable himself he heard her voice. 

"Would you like me to help you with that?" Duo looked in the mirror Minako was standing behind him. She walked up to him and put her arms on his shoulder looking at him in the mirror she said again, "I'd be happy to help you take this stuff off." 

Duo shut his eyes and said, "You're not real. You're not real. You're not real." When he opened his eyes she was gone. Duo turned around and sat down on the dresser for support and then began taking off his shirts one at a time. His boots had been taken off of him days ago, so all he had to do was peel off his socks. He then removed his pants and turned back around to face the mirror. Duo opened the top drawer; first he pulled out a clean towel then his hairbrush. Duo removed the tie from his hair and slowly began to brush out his braid. When he was done he noticed that his hair was longer than his boxers. Amused by this fact Duo grabbed his towel opened the door and peered down the hall. No one was out there. 'Good,' he thought and walked down the hall to the bathroom. When he got there he ran into the doorframe. Finally he got the door open just to find another scantily clad Minako. Duo shook his head pretended not to see or hear her and went to the shower. 

When he turned on the water he heard Minako scream, "Ahh, that's cold." Duo opened the door to find yet another one. 

"She can't hurt you. She's not real. Just take the damn shower and get it over with," he said to himself. He hung his towel on the top of the door, stripped out of his boxers and climbed in the shower. After about two minutes of ignoring that Minako she disappeared. Duo found that if he didn't listen to them, they would go away. By the time he was done with the first wash of his hair he had mastered the ignoring-fake-Minakos-routine and practically stopped hallucinating all together.

"How's he doing?" Relena asked as Heero returned from Duo's room.

"He's hallucinating, but he knows it. So I'd say he'll be fine after he gets some sleep."

"You really think he will."

"Maybe after his shower."

"He's taking a shower? How did you manage that?"

"I told him he stinks."

Relena shook her head, "That's horrible. You're supposed to be his friend. Isn't he suffering enough."

"What. I told him the truth. I'm not going to lie just because he thinks he sees her in every corner."

"I'm just teasing you Heero, I'm glad you got him out of that whole moping phase." 

            "Oh he's not done moping. I just got him to eat, shower, and maybe sleep."

*****DING DONG********

            "Who in the world?" Relena began getting up to go to the door.

            Pagan beat her to it, outside there was a young woman carrying a small duffel. "Yes. Can I help you?"

            "Is this where Relena and Heero live?"

            "May I ask who's calling?"

            "You're Pagan right? Weird guy who answers the door as if he were on the phone? Is Duo here?"

            Relena stepped around the door, "Yes he is. Would you care to come in," she said pushing Pagan out of the way.

            "Thanks."

            "I'm Relena Darlian." 

            "You must be Mina." Heero said from the entrance to the foyer.

            "That would make you Heero?"

            "Hmn.  Duo's this way."

            "How'd you find us," Relena asked.  

            "I closed my eyes and wished," Minako said, "Duo told me where he lived," she continued based on their weird expressions. 

            "Oh. So how long have you know Duo?" Relena pried.

            "About a week." Both she and Heero answered.

            Relena shot Heero a look, "Mina right?" she began putting an arm around Minako's shoulder and directing her into the living room. Heero stopped at the doorway and sighed. 

            "Aino Minako. You can call me Mina."

            "Where are you from?" Relena began

            "Japan."

            "Really. What part?" Heero butted in from the doorway.

            "Uh, Tokyo." Minako said not sure why he was prying.

            Relena looked at her funny, "Tokyo? When's the last time you were home?"

            "Oh I couldn't say; it seems like it's been hundreds of years."

            "So where did you meet Duo?" Relena continued.

            "At the gym. We were both playing basketball and we got our balls mixed up."

            "Is that when you punched him?" Heero asked still standing in the doorway with his arms folded waiting for this insane interview to end.

            "Yeah. How'd you know about that?"

            "Duo."

            "So what have you been doing for the past four days?" Relena said fighting to regain control of the conversation.

            "Mostly staring out my window and ignoring my cat."

            Relena smiled.

            Heero could hear the water turn off down the hall, "Did you want to see Duo?"

            "Yes. Terribly."

            "Come. He'll be in his room shortly."

            "Heero why don't you wait until he gets out of the shower to drag her down there?"

            Heero didn't respond.

            "How far away is his room?"

            "Oh no, it's not that, it's just that lately Duo has a tendency to uh…" Relena didn't know how to continue.

            "Walk around in a mindless daze." Heero finished and took Minako by the arm before Relena could object again.

            He started down the hall. "The bathroom's the second door on the right. Duo's is the third on the left. The kitchen is in the center, if you should want something just ask Pagan he'll get it for you."  

As they were passing the bathroom Duo walked out drying his hair. Usually he's wearing boxers as well but today he was so out of it that he was completely naked, not that he didn't have enough hair to cover himself. Minako stopped in her tracks as her jaw almost hit the floor. Duo looked up at Minako and screamed, "I thought I was past this hallucination shit. Not another one!" with that Duo collapsed on the ground.

            "Hmn." Heero said as he grabbed Duo's arms and pulled him up. Heero wrapped an arm around Duo's chest and looked at Minako. She had yet to blink. Heero started to drag Duo down the hall; Minako scrambled to follow Heero to the room. Heero directed Duo to the bed. He dropped him face down on the sheets leaving his feet hanging over the edge. Heero went to Duo's still open top drawer pulled out a black pair of shorts and walked back over to the bed. He started at Duo's dangling feet and put his shorts on him, flung his feet on the bed, and then handed the hairbrush to Mina. "If it's not brushed before it dries it'll be a huge knot." And with those parting words of wisdom Heero left the room shutting the door behind him. 

            Minako shook her head, looked down at the brush, and then at the sleeping Duo. She smiled. "I guess I would have done the same if you showed up in my house." And she carefully found all of his hair and began brushing it gently using the towel to help dry it. When his hair was completely brushed dry she took the red bow from her hair and put it in his, smiled, and crawled in on the other side and crashed. For the first time in four days both Minako and Duo slept.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes:  Angst! 

So what do you guys think of their first reunion?

If you think Heero and Relena are a little out of character now…wait until the next chapter. I think near-married life has warped them in my mind a little. Either that or I was trying to balance out Duo and Minako's melancholy. I mean if Duo's going to be the stoic, angsty one then I guess Heero's just going to have to fill the void. Let's just say having friends tends to warp people into acting like them once in a while… and that's what has happened here. 

As for the reference to Tokyo being a crater… well in the well-thought out version I had of AC 200… Tokyo had been destroyed…well I'll go into that detail later.

As for the whole Heero speaking Japanese and Duo hearing English thing… Um… well I had to come up with a reason why Duo didn't understand Minako to begin with because well… anyway to fix this plot loophole I had thought up an idea that after the wars were ended, assuming that mankind could actually achieve a world of peace, the world would return to a pre-Babel like state. And everyone would be able to understand everyone else…while all speaking, reading, and hearing in native tongues. Does that make sense?

Well anyway… Thank you all for the reviews… keep them coming. ^_^

Let me know if I've dropped of the deep end at any point. Now it's time to go finish my alterations on the upcoming chapters. 

Coming up next…How will Duo respond when he realizes Minako is real? How will Heero and Relena take to a new guest in their house?  


End file.
